A Hart in Time Saves Mine
by teachinEnglish
Summary: A modern day AU story about how our favorite couple met, wooed, and wed. There's a dash of intrigue as well. Rated T for innuendo.
1. Chapter 1

Jonathan Hart was currently posing for a photo shoot and hating every minute of it. He'd been contacted by Forbes Magazine a few weeks ago; an old acquaintance was the editor and was relentless when she wanted something. What Sharna currently wanted was for Jonathan to grace the cover of Forbes in their Most Eligible Bachelors edition. Jonathan thanked the stars that Sharna no longer wanted him romantically and found another man to pursue a year ago. While Jonathan was happy that she'd found love, he was exasperated that she now felt everyone needed to find what she had. Somehow that translated into him being offered up to the women of America in a magazine article. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders between the blinding light of the flashes. His stomach growled. The photographer, Eddie, was close enough to hear and yelled for everyone to take an hour for lunch. Jonathan grabbed a bottle of water, a premade salad, and walked out into the California sunshine. There was a grassy area just outside of the studio, so Jonathan kicked off his Italian leather loafers, draped his custom made suit jacket over the picnic bench, and sat down in the shade of a massive oak tree. The sounds of the city surrounded him, and he breathed in the air. Even with the smog it felt better than the stagnant air inside the studio. He was still trying to figure out how he let Sharna talk him into this craziness. He hated the spotlight. He knew he had to deal with it as the CEO of Hart Industries, but it was much easier talking to a boardroom as opposed to answering the probing questions of a reporter. Jonathan wanted to keep his personal life personal, but as one of the youngest CEOs on Forbes Fortune 500 list, it was hard to do. On the upside, he talked Sharna into having his photo shoot in LA, as well as the reveal party. Jonathan told her in no uncertain terms that he could not fly to New York, so she came to him. He smiled as he remembered their heated conversation.

"No, if you want me to participate, then you have to come here."

"Jonathan, you're being difficult."

"Did you expect me to be anything else? You've known me a long time, Sharna. Right now I have business that needs my attention, and I can't be all the way across the country, especially not for something as ridiculous as playing Bachelor Number One." He heard her overly dramatic, exasperated sigh and knew he'd won."

"Fine, we'll come to you. A few of the other bachelors are from California anyway. I can plan a party from the other side of the continent." He smiled and tried to stifle the smugness in his voice.

"I never had any doubt."

"You owe me for this, Jonathan."

"I'm sure I do."

Jonathan just shook his head, wondering what she might make him do as payback. He checked his watch, took a last bite of his salad, and tried to get his mind back in "model mode" for the last couple hours of this farce. He would be ecstatic when this whole ordeal was over, and that included the gala planned for Friday night where he and the other bachelors would be paraded around in front of the people Sharna deemed important enough to attend.

...

Jennifer Edwards was putting the finishing touches on her current story when her phone rang.

"Jennifer Edwards…Friday night?...Why is an investigative reporter covering this instead of the entertainment writers?...Really?...Hmmmm, now you've intrigued me…All right, I can be on a flight in a couple of hours…Yes, I'll make the arrangements."

She saved her story, sent it in an attachment to her editor, and looked up flights to LAX. After booking a red-eye, she called Andy and cancelled their date, again.

"Look, Andy, I'm really sorry, but when the boss says go, I go…..I know I've cancelled on you three times, and I'm sorry…True, maybe this isn't going to work out…You absolutely deserve someone who can spend as much time with you as you want…..Look, I need to get home and pack…..Take care of yourself."

Jennifer hung up the phone and wasn't sure exactly what she felt. She thought she should feel sad after ending a relationship, but she didn't. It wasn't like she and Andy had been together for long, only a couple of months, but still, it didn't seem right that she should feel relieved. "_Maybe this is just the universe telling me I should continue to focus on work rather than relationships._" She put it out of her mind, straightened her desk, and headed home to pack for LA.

She left La Guardia about 11:30 pm Wednesday night and landed at LAX about 1:45 am Thursday morning, headed straight to the hotel, and crashed. Time zone hopping always threw her system off. Jennifer slept until about 9:00 am – late for her – ordered coffee and fruit from room service, then got ready to research for the day. She really didn't have to be in California until tomorrow night for the Forbes party announcing their Most Eligible Bachelors of the year, but Jennifer Edwards never wrote a story without copious amounts of research. While there were several bachelors in this year's edition, Jonathan Hart was the one Jennifer was most interested in. Over the last couple of years, he landed in the news a few times. Having a meteoric rise to multi-millionaire status after coming out of an orphanage often causes a few eyebrows to raise and throws the media into a feeding frenzy. He was not one to seek fame though; Jennifer knew that much. He very rarely granted interviews, as in never, and when her boss told her that Hart was one of the bachelor choices this year, Jennifer was both intrigued and surprised that he agreed. It made sense that she was put on the story rather than another writer who only reported what people wore and ate at functions like this. By the time Jennifer headed out to buy herself a new dress, she knew everything there was to know about Jonathan Hart, which was startlingly little.


	2. Chapter 2

On Friday night, Max, Jonathan's closest friend, confidante, father figure, and all around every man, drove the two of them to Rossoblu for the invitation only reveal of this year's Most Eligible Bachelors.

"Max, can we get a flat tire or something?"

"Mr. H., why would you want to do that? This is going to be a real swanky thing. It's worth going to for the food alone." Jonathan just shook his head.

"If you say so Max. Hey, I've got a great idea, maybe they should put you on the cover."

"Nah. Now if it was a poker magazine, sure."

They drove up to the front of the restaurant and got out. Max handed the Rolls Royce keys to the Valet, and he and Jonathan headed inside. Sharna wanted all the bachelors there early to go through the program and presentation. Jonathan had no idea why such a big deal was being made out of it. He was also not looking forward to whatever surprise Sharna had been goading him with all week. She kept telling him he would love it, which basically meant he knew he would hate it. He plastered a smile on his face and greeted her with the double cheek kiss he knew she expected.

"Jonathan, I'm so excited that you're here. I half expected you to find an excuse to not be."

"I won't lie to you; I told Max to get a flat tire on the way here." Sharna laughed, but stopped abruptly when she realized Jonathan wasn't kidding, which made Jonathan smirk. "You remember Max, don't you?" Sharna looked at Max with a warm smile.

"Of course I do. Hello, Max." She turned back to Jonathan. "Jonathan, this cover is a great thing for you. It's also a great thing for us. All too often we have to choose boring, sticks in the mud for this special edition. To have a man who is as handsome and charming as you grace our cover is a real coup. You're a mystery to many Jonathan; people want to know more about you."

Max motioned to Jonathan that he was going to head over by the bar. Jonathan nodded and continued his conversation with Sharna.

"I appreciate that, but you know that I like to keep my private life private. I'm not comfortable letting people know whether I'm a boxers or briefs kind of guy."

Just then, Sharna was called away with some sort of emergency.

"I'll be back soon and we can go over the program." Jonathan could definitely wait.

...

Jennifer arrived a little later than she planned; she wanted to be there before any of the other reporters showed up. She hoped to catch the elusive Jonathan Hart by himself and convince him that he wanted nothing more than an exclusive interview with her, but an accident snarled traffic and foiled her attempt at the one on one chat. By the time Jennifer got to the restaurant the party was in full swing. She thankfully hadn't missed the main reason for the occasion, but Jonathan Hart was surrounded by men she assumed were the other bachelors and guarded by the formidable Sharna Jones. As a fellow reporter, Jennifer knew Sharna's reputation at Forbes well and had a great deal of respect for the woman. Jennifer stood for a moment, took stock, and decided to walk right into the hornet's nest. For the second time in her evening, she was foiled in her attempt.

"Hey there, beautiful. How about we find a quiet corner and get to know each other better?" Jennifer tried to step around the obviously inebriated man, but he blocked her path.

"Excuse me, but I need to meet with someone." Again, she moved to go around and again she was blocked. This time he grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand on her arm and looked into eyes which were bloodshot with alcohol. Tact was not going to be an option, even for a woman whose innate nature was to be polite.

"You need to take your hand off me." He stared back at her.

"Aww, c'mon. I'm just trying to be friendly." He started to walk toward a doorway, his hand still vised around Jennifer's bicep, but just as she was about to take action, she heard a voice behind her.

"Excuse me, it sounds like the lady asked you to let go of her." Her assailant stopped so abruptly that Jennifer ran into him. As she regained her balance, she spoke for herself.

"I appreciate the assist, but I've got this." She turned and looked into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He smiled as they made eye contact.

"You look absolutely capable of handling whatever comes at you, but I could never leave a lady alone in a situation like this." She smiled back at him.

"Hey, find your own pretty lady. She's mine." As the drunk tried to move once more, Jennifer grabbed a hold of his pinky finger and bent it back forcibly. He squealed in pain and let go of her arm.

"No means no. You need to go get some coffee." He made another grab for her, but her hero was quicker and grabbed the man's arm.

"The lady said no. Go sober up." With that, the drunken man got a hearty shove toward the door, and security took over and ushered him out. Jennifer turned to her benefactor to thank him, but he was staring at her arm.

"It looks like you might have a bruise from where he grabbed you. I can get you some ice if you'd like." Jennifer smiled and locked eyes with the man once more.

"No, I'll be fine. It's the curse of red hair and fair skin. Bruises always show up easily on me." Jennifer tried to laugh it off, but she was being stared at so intently, she could barely breathe.

"It's a pity to have marks like that on such lovely skin."

She swallowed hard and was able to squeeze a few more words out, while she offered her hand for a shake.

"I'm Jennifer. Thanks again for your help." He took her hand and brought it to his lips, all the while never breaking eye contact with her.

"I'm Jonathan, and it was entirely my pleasure." He wanted to say more to her, but Sharna's assistant came to usher him to the stage.

...

He was only half listening to what Sharna was saying about him as he stood behind the curtain with a couple of the other bachelors, waiting for his name to be called, his hand and lips still tingling from their contact with Jennifer. He almost missed his entrance entirely because he couldn't get her out of his mind. When he looked into her eyes, he felt as though he was drowning in the most decadent molten chocolate. He shook himself out of his fantasy when he heard the applause and stepped onto the stage into the blinding spotlight. Sharna introduced the rest of the bachelors and when they were all on stage, she started the rest of the program.

"Now, these men all know I have a surprise for them, but they don't know what it is. I'll start with Jonathan Hart. As we all know, the Mission Street Orphanage is near and dear to him, so as a special fundraiser, we are donating the proceeds from tonight's unique auction to this worthy cause." Sharna waited for the applause to die down.

"I see a lot of you looking though the program, but our auction items aren't listed because all of them are standing up here, next to me." Jonathan tried his best not to look like he wanted to throttle Sharna. Through his teeth and under his breath he said,

"What are you doing? Don't make me kill you later." To those in attendance, he just kept smiling. Sharna spared him a quick glance while continuing her speech.

"The highest bidders here tonight will win dates with their favorite bachelors with the proceeds going to their favorite charities as well. Our bachelors, however, will have the final say, so no trying to whisk them off to Vegas and a drive-thru chapel ladies!" The crowd roared with laughter while many of the women in attendance started checking bank balances on their phones. Jennifer was close enough to the stage to watch Jonathan's eyes ice over as Sharna went through the procedures for bidding. With her mind racing, Jennifer figured that perhaps her luck was changing a bit for the night. As long as no one outbid her, she could have Jonathan all to herself to get that interview. While she knew there was quite a bit of stiff competition in the room, she'd never been one to give up without a fight. As soon as Sharna took a breath, Jonathan whisked her behind the curtain and tried to keep his voice calm.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm not a piece of meat that you can throw to the dogs. I didn't sign up for this, Sharna." Jonathan's eyes were spitting ice shards. His ire didn't faze her at all.

"Actually, you did when you signed your contract, Jonathan. You can also consider your debt paid. Our auctioneer is set up. We need to get back out there." With that, she stepped through the curtain, and Jonathan just kept trying to remember that all the money was going to the orphanage.

Bidding started at $500 and went up steadily. Things started to slow down at around $35,000, and it came down to two bidders. They were outbidding each other in $500 increments, and it looked as though a bid of $41,000 was going to win. Everyone was so focused on the "bid war women" that no one noticed the woman in the back of the room. She'd moved so she could survey the whole room and was biding her time, waiting for the right opportunity. As the auctioneer's voice started to boom "going three times", there was a shout from the back.

"$75,000." With that the auctioneer banged his gavel and the auction ended. All eyes shifted from the front to the back of the room. Sharna called for the winning bidder to step forward, and Jennifer slowly made her way to the stage, never breaking eye contact with Jonathan. She was an absolute jumble of nerves, both from the way his gaze made her feel and from the completely spontaneous bid. Not one to deny his feelings, Jonathan realized he was utterly and completely smitten. Jennifer came and stood next to her "prize", and he took her hand. Again, the electric current ran between them. When the applause died down, Sharna told the couple that they would dance the first dance of the night with the rest of the bachelors and their "dates".

...

No one noticed the gentleman who left after Jennifer's winning bid. He dreaded placing this call.

"Do you have good news for me?"

"She hasn't had a chance to get near him. That editor has been with all the bachelors all night. I actually thought we might have a chance when they came up with this ridiculous date auction. I gave her a $50,000 limit, and it looked like she had it locked at $41 Gs, but this other woman put down a $75,000 bid. I don't think he'll be alone the rest of the night."

"I see. Do you know who the other woman is?"

"Yeah. Her name is Jennifer Edwards. What do you want me to do now?" The low chuckle on the other end of the phone sent chills up his spine.

"Nothing. This just got infinitely more interesting. I'll be in touch."


	3. Chapter 3

After the auction, as they headed to the dance floor, Jennifer felt two pairs of eyes shoot daggers at her back. She smiled a little in spite of herself. Jonathan took his partner's left hand and placed his left arm around her waist. While they danced, Jonathan drank in the woman in his arms. Her thick, dark auburn hair was swept up in a loose knot, and the shimmering lights of the dance floor caught her natural highlights as they swayed to the music. The black halter dress showed off Jennifer's slim neck, strong shoulders, and creamy skin. The tapered waist accentuated her shapely curves, and with her heels, she was almost eye level with him. His eyes followed the line of her neck and shoulders, and he couldn't help but notice the tease of cleavage in the vee of her dress. Couple that with the fact that his hand rested on her bare back, he struggled to keep his thoughts on conversation. As the song came to an end, he pulled her closer so he could whisper in her ear.

"Thank you for saving me from those two who were bidding on me. I feel as though I owe you my life." Her laugh entranced him, and he physically felt himself free fall into love with her right there on the dance floor. Sharna interrupted them at that point, and Jonathan was tempted to ignore her, but Max came along and whisked Jennifer off into another dance.

"I'm Max. I take care of Mr. H." Jennifer smiled into the face of the older gentleman and decided she liked him immediately.

"I'm Jennifer, and I apparently have a date with your Mr. H." Max smiled back, and she kept the conversation going. "How did you and Mr. H. meet?" Jennifer knew a bit of the story, but wanted to hear it in Max's voice.

"He was still a kid, selling newspapers on the street, living in the orphanage. We sort of found each other and stuck. We've been together ever since." He looked pointedly at Jennifer. "I don't ever want to see him get hurt." Jennifer completely understood Max's intimation and respected that he didn't say anything more than what was already in print. She smiled genuinely at him.

"Max, let me assure you, I'm not looking for love, and I'm not trying to land a rich husband. I'm a reporter and would like to just spend some time talking to Mr. H.. He's a dynamic, interesting, and engaging man. I won't print anything he doesn't want me to, and I won't print anything that isn't the truth." Max got a good feeling about the woman who was currently not complaining about the number of times he'd stepped on her toes. He decided then and there that she was a pretty terrific lady. Just when he was about to tell her that, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"May I cut in?"

"Mr. H., of course you can." To Jennifer he said, "Thanks for the dance." And with a wink, he headed back toward the bar and the bartender he'd been swapping horse racing info with. Jonathan very smoothly moved Jennifer toward a darker corner of the dance floor that was less populated. "I know Max isn't much of a dancer. How are your toes?" Jennifer laughed.

"They're fine. He's a very sweet man housed in a very gruff exterior, and he thinks the world of you." Jonathan smiled a smile that Jennifer knew could melt her heart if she let it.

"Well, he's the only father I've ever known. He means a lot to me too."

"He told me how you met and stuck – his word. It seems like a good thing that you two have each other." Jonathan decided to give her a bit more of the story, something he rarely did.

"Max found me on the street corner, we became friends, and then he helped me finance my start up. I'm pretty sure he won most of the money at the track and it was his nest egg, but he didn't hesitate to loan it to me. He wanted to just give it to me, but I told him it had to be a loan or I wouldn't take it." Jennifer watched Jonathan's eyes fill with love as he talked about Max, and she felt her heart shift a bit. "_Down girl – you aren't looking for a relationship. You're just looking for a story_."

The party began to wind down, and Sharna corralled Jonathan and Jennifer for some photos to add to the bachelor story.

"So, Jennifer, do you know where you are going to have Jonathan take you on your date yet?" Jennifer looked at Jonathan with all sincerity.

"He gets to choose." Both Jonathan and Sharna stared back at her.

"You're letting him choose? Why on earth would you do that when you could have your fantasy date with a pretty darn near perfect guy?" Jennifer laughed at the earnestness of Sharna's confusion.

"Well, it seems he got roped into this without being asked. The least I can do is let him plan the date he's been forced into." Sharna was impressed. She also knew that a good portion of Jennifer's motive for bidding had to be a story. As much as Jennifer knew about Sharna, she knew about Jennifer, and Sharna had respect for the young reporter standing in front of her.

"Then I hope he plans a good one." Jennifer looked at Jonathan, who looked as though he was trying to figure out if there was some string attached to her idea. In the end, he beamed that magnetic smile at her.

"I'm sure he will. He seems like a man who's always up for a challenge." She winked at Jonathan and walked away.

...

Jennifer was headed toward the door, checking the messages on her phone, and literally ran into Jonathan.

"I'm so sorry. You would think I'd learn to not be mobile on my mobile." She wagged her phone a bit. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Jonathan made a production of patting himself down.

"No, no broken bones. Running into you was more pleasure than harm." To his surprise, Jennifer blushed a bit. He tucked that image away for a later time. "Would you like a ride home? Max and I can drop you where ever you need to be." He sincerely hoped she would say yes. He wasn't ready to say goodnight to her yet.

"I can just get an Uber, really." Part of her was hoping Jonathan would try to convince her not to.

"No, that's silly. Max and I will drive you. That way you and I can discuss our date." Jennifer smiled at him.

"All right. Thank you." Jonathan placed his hand on her back and walked her out to the waiting car.

Max opened the door for them both and they climbed into the back seat of the Rolls.

"Where to, Mr. H.?"

"Ask the lady, Max."

"I'm at the InterContinental downtown, Max." Max started driving, and Jonathan tried to work his magic on the gorgeous lady sitting next to him.

"Your name is familiar to me, but I can't place it. Have we met before tonight?" He gestured with his hands that it was a ridiculous statement. "I know that's a cliché line, but I'm at a loss. I certainly would remember if I'd met you before." He ran a finger down her cheek. "You're not a woman any man could forget." He thought he detected the faintest blush at the compliment, but the interior of the car was dark, and he couldn't be sure.

"You might have read some of my articles. I'm a reporter." She could physically feel Jonathan withdraw into himself and worked to try to draw him back out. Up front, Max was silently hoping Mr. H. would give the pretty lady a chance. She heard the frost in Jonathan's voice as he answered her.

"I have. You're very good at what you do. Is that why you were at the party tonight?" Jennifer focused on the passing buildings, trying to seem more nonchalant than she felt. She had a lot riding on this interview, but her feelings were conflicted. She knew that she didn't want to hurt Jonathan in the process.

"Yes. My boss is friends with the owner of Forbes, who called as a professional courtesy. He called me, told me to get on a plane, and here I am." She now looked at him sitting next to her. The intensity of his eyes unnerved her. She knew he was weighing her words very carefully, so she did what she always did and continued to be honest with him. "Bidding on you wasn't part of my plan; I didn't even know they were going to auction off a date with you." Jonathan muttered under his breath.

"That makes two of us." Jennifer heard him but forged ahead.

"I had hoped to spend some time with you before the party and let you know who I was and what my intentions were, but that didn't happen due to a traffic snarl. Then, I was on my way to talk to you and Sharna when the drunken man intercepted me." At the mention of that incident, Jonathan touched her arm lightly where she'd been grabbed. His voice warmed again.

"I'm sorry about that. How is your arm?" Jennifer looked down at his hand and back up to his eyes.

"It's all right. It wasn't your fault, and I really do appreciate you coming over to help." He laughed a bit as he remembered the squeal he heard when Jennifer pulled the man's pinky. Jonathan let his hand slide down her arm to her hand and held it. Since she didn't pull away, neither did he.

"You seemed to have things well in hand." He could feel her shrug slightly.

"Just a simple self-defense move is all." She hesitated for a minute before bringing the conversation back to her job. "Jonathan, I hope you know from reading my other articles that I will never print anything you don't want me to. I will also never lie. It's like I told Max, you're an intriguing, charming, and charismatic man. The world just wants to know more about you." He turned his head and stared out the window.

"I don't really care what the world wants to know. I like my privacy." His voice had a note of finality in it. Jennifer squeezed Jonathan's hand slightly.

"Unfortunately, with your status, privacy isn't always something you can keep. People are going to dig for your story, Jonathan, and when they don't find something, they'll make things up." He turned to look at her again. "Wouldn't you rather tell your story on your terms, with a reporter who won't twist your words to fit her own agenda?" He thought about it for a while, and Jennifer wondered if he might not answer her at all. She mentally rearranged her schedule for the next few days as they pulled up to the hotel. She was hoping she might still be able to convince him. Max got out to open her door, and Jonathan followed her out of the car and on to the sidewalk.

"Max, sit tight for a minute. I'm going to walk Jennifer up to her room."

"Sure thing, Mr. H.." Jennifer walked up to Max and kissed his cheek.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Max. I hope to see you again sometime." The smile on Max's face was infectious.

"Same here, Miss Edwards. Same here." As Jennifer and Jonathan walked into the hotel, he reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. From behind them, Max's smile grew even broader.


	4. Chapter 4

Jennifer had her key in her free hand, but Jonathan stopped her from putting it in the card slot outside her door. He turned her to him.

"Answer me one question."

"All right."

"Why did you pay $75,000 for a date with me?" Jennifer wanted to be honest with him, but she'd struggled with that same question all night. It was a rash and impulsive move on her part, something she wasn't used to. He watched her as she glanced one way and then the other, trying to find an answer.

"It started out as a way to get you alone for an interview." He'd figured as much but knew there was more to it now. Jonathan prompted her.

"And then?" Again, she had trouble looking at him. Finally, she raised her hands in frustration and locked eyes with him.

"And then I couldn't get your eyes out of my mind." A slow smile spread across his face.

"I like your eyes too."

"You do?" He nodded, his mind made up.

"I do." He took a deep breath. "Jennifer, if I'm going to grant an interview with anyone, it'll be you." Jennifer smiled tentatively at him and tried to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Thank you. I appreciate your trust."

"When do you have to be home?"

"I planned to be back in New York and at work on Monday, but I can adjust that, if you need me to." Jonathan looked at her intently.

"Well, we have a date tomorrow, if that suits you, and we still need to fit in the interview. I make it a point to not work on the weekends, unless it's unavoidable, so our interview will have to wait until Monday." Jennifer looked at him, slightly confused.

"Oh, I figured that our interview would be the date. Once you knew who I was and what my intentions were, I didn't figure you would want to spend more time with me than you had to." He took a step closer to her, invading her space.

"No. A date is a date. An interview is definitely not a date, and I absolutely want that date that you paid for." Jennifer's stomach began turning in circles with the way Jonathan was looking at her, and his thumb caressing the knuckles on her left hand didn't help any. She was having trouble making coherent thoughts.

"Oh. A date tomorrow sounds nice." Jonathan could see the effect he was having on her, and it helped steady his own somersaulting stomach. A smile stole across his face as he decided to tease her a bit.

"So, you think I'm charming, huh?" Jennifer quickly looked to her left with a bit of a nervous laugh, her telltale sign that she was embarrassed. She knew her brain was scrambled when she didn't have a witty retort ready and was thankful when he let her off the hook, even though his smug smile made her want to find a comeback. "What are some things you like to do on dates?" Jennifer half laughed.

"I'm not sure really. I don't date all that much. In fact, if you ask the last man I dated he would probably tell you that I like to cancel dates more than go on them." Knowing that she didn't date often brought Jonathan an absurd amount of pleasure.

"Well, then, I'll surprise you." A smile bloomed across Jennifer's face and enchanted Jonathan.

"I love surprises." He tucked that piece of information away, along with how to make her blush, for later use. As he leaned in for a kiss, Jennifer put her index finger on his lips.

"Not so fast, buster. We haven't even had a first date yet." Jonathan somehow had the ability to flash a smile that was both a bit chagrined and devilish. He shook his head slightly but never broke eye contact with her.

"I'm sorry. You're just so beautiful that I seem to lose my head around you." Jennifer gave Jonathan a half smile and looked up at him from under thick, dark lashes.

"How often do you use that line?" Jonathan took both of her hands in his and spoke earnestly to her.

"I've never used it, and it's not a line. In fact, I'm not used to feeling out of control. You've done something to me, Jennifer Edwards, and I'm completely out of my element." Jennifer almost found herself leaning toward Jonathan for that kiss after all. She caught herself just in time and looked at Jonathan with a saucy little smile.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual." She put her keycard in the door, but before she crossed the threshold, she turned around and gave Jonathan a kiss on the cheek. The door shut in his face as she told him she'd be ready by 10:00 am the next morning. He stood for a minute, arms braced on either side of the frame, staring at the door, and wondering how a kiss on the cheek made him so weak in the knees.

She stood for a minute, leaning against the door, wondering how Jonathan swept her off her feet as easily as he did and trying to figure out what she would do now that her wall was crumbling.

...

On the way home, Jonathan asked Max his thoughts on the red headed bomb shell who had invaded his life this evening.

"You mean Miss Edwards, Mr. H.? I think she's terrific." Jonathan was thrilled that Max liked Jennifer. He trusted his old friend's judgement, which had helped him in the past. He rolled his eyes a bit as he remembered Irene Darrow and just as quickly put her out of his mind.

"What did you like about her, Max?"

"Well for one, she didn't yell at me when I stepped on her toes when we were dancing." Jonathan laughed at that. "Second, she didn't take any offence when I told her I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"You said that to her?"

"Of course I did. I'm not going to beat around the bushes. She shot straight with me about who she was and what she wanted. She told me she wasn't looking for love or a rich husband. I also figure she's got to have her own money if she could drop $75 grand on a date with the likes of you." That got another laugh out of Jonathan.

"Oh Max. I love ya."

"Right back atcha, Mr. H." They were silent for a bit before Max started up the conversation again. "You got plans for your date tomorrow?"

"I'm not totally sure yet. I'm picking her up at ten, so we might wander to the beach. I think I'd like to take her to a show but living in New York might make a Broadway Show in LA a little bit of a letdown." Maybe I'll just play it by ear."

"I don't know, Mr. H. She seems like a lady who likes to have a plan."

"Yeah, she does, Max, but she also told me she likes surprises."

"A woman with contradictions. Who'd a thought?" The two men were still chuckling when they pulled into the underground garage of Jonathan's building.


	5. Chapter 5

At promptly 10:00 the next morning, Jennifer heard a knock on her door. She checked through the peep hole, smiled, and opened the door to one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen. Last night she thought perhaps it was partially because of the tuxedo he was in. Today, she knew it was just Jonathan Hart. He was dressed in what she figured was casual to him, a pair of dark brown trousers, loafers, and a winter white button down shirt that was open at the collar.

She stole his breath. Last night she'd looked gorgeous in a black halter dress with jewels winking around her neck and on her ears. This morning, Jennifer looked just as stunning in dark jeans, low heeled sandals, and an ice blue silk shirt. They smiled at each other at the same time.

"Good morning." He leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning to you too. I wasn't sure what we were doing, so I hope casual is all right."

"Casual looks great on you. We'll change later." Jennifer gave him a questioning look.

"Do you have something with you that you can wear to dinner and the theater later tonight?" A quick smile stole across her face.

"I do. Should I bring it with me?"

"It might work best if you do. Feel free to bring whatever you need. We can change at my place later to save time."

"All right. Anything else I should know?" Jonathan gave her a teasing smile.

"No. Today is all about surprises." He winked at her and waited while Jennifer put together what she thought she might need and then they headed out for their day.

Jonathan drove along Hwy. 10 toward Santa Monica. They chatted about everything and nothing, and Jennifer made sure that she tamped down her reporter voice for the day. Even though she was itching to ask certain questions, she figured that just getting to know Jonathan in a casual setting was better than any interview she could ever have with him. Based on what she knew of the elusive Jonathan Hart, she had formed an erroneous opinion of him. She thought he would be cold and aloof, but soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. Besides, she couldn't ask too many questions because she was so busy answering all of Jonathan's. She told him about living in Maryland as a girl. How she learned to ride a horse almost before she learned to walk. How her mother died when she was 12. Jonathan reached over and took her hand while she reminisced about the difficulty she and her dad had after losing her mom.

"Pa was as lost without her as I was. The difference was that he had no idea what to do with a 12 year old girl, and I think it hurt him that I looked so much like her. I was a constant reminder of who he lost. He left most of my upbringing to Mom while he travelled, and with her gone…well, I got sent off to boarding school. Thankfully he and I have worked through all of that, but it was tough for a long time. I felt completely abandoned at a time when I needed someone the most. I think that's part of the reason I don't really date. I don't want to get attached only to get cut off. I also spent a great deal of time on my writing, and at this point, that comes first." Jonathan glanced at her and then focused on the road again. He lost himself in his own thoughts for a minute. Jennifer was nothing like he expected a reporter to be. Most he had encountered were pushy, stubborn, and rude. They also had the moral fiber of a cockroach. While it didn't happen often, he was glad that this time his radar was off. He'd thought of a whole plethora of questions to ask to keep her busy talking about herself so that she couldn't badger him, but he'd steeled himself for the inevitable. However, when she had the opportunity, she asked him things that related to what they were already talking about, and she seemed genuinely interested in his answers. He actually found himself relaxing and continued their conversation.

"I can't say I'm disappointed that you don't date too much. I would hate to have to fight a whole bunch of other men for your attention." He stole a quick glance at her and found her looking back at him. "I would do it in a heartbeat though." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her. He had to refocus on the road, but he could almost feel her blush in her seat. "Do you have any idea how endearing it is that you blush when I compliment you?" She blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Endearing? It's embarrassing. I've never had a poker face." She laughed a little as she remembered her awkward younger years. "I was such a tomboy growing up, which didn't really fit the image of a dancer. I was gangly and always down at the stables, and I seemed to be a walking contradiction. The long limbs helped me look graceful on stage, but most people just saw a redhead who was nothing but arms and legs." Jonathan rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"You grew into everything very nicely, and I bet you were adorable while you waited for everything to catch up to each other." She laughed before she continued.

"I spent a lot of time by myself. I'd take off on Sweet Sue, my horse, or practice at the barre for hours. That was where I was comfortable. When I got to high school, it was an all girl's school, so it wasn't until I got to college that I really even knew that boys existed. Don't get me wrong, the girls at the boarding school certainly got all atwitter when a dance would come up with the nearby boy's school, but I never attended them. I also never went to Look-Out Point like so many of the other girls." Jonathan stole another glance at her.

"I can't imagine that you didn't have boys lined up to ask you to those dances. Did you break all their hearts?" She just shook her head and laughed at him.

"No one ever asked me. There weren't any hearts to break. " She said it matter of factly, without a hint of remorse. She was a woman who had grown into her own skin and liked who she was, which Jonathan found extremely sexy. Jennifer watched Jonathan smile at some secret thought while he kept his eyes on the road.

"Dancing with you last night was a wonderful experience. Those high school boys have no idea what they missed." Again, he lifted her hand to his lips. At this point, Jennifer decided to try her luck at getting Jonathan to talk about himself. The confidence he had suggested he never went through that awkward phase.

"I think dancing with you more than makes up for any dance I missed in high school." She smiled at the sideways glance he gave her. "By the way, you have some pretty smooth moves, Mr. Hart, along with a silver tongue. Care to share how you got so good with the ladies?" She waggled her eyebrows up and down and made him laugh. He decided that she deserved to hear a little more about him.

"I really don't feel like I have any moves at all. I do know that I learned at a young age that the nicer you were to the nuns, the better things were at the orphanage. I guess that's where I learned to be "charming", as you called me last night. I've always been able to read people well. Even when I was younger and selling papers, I knew who I could talk into buying one and who I couldn't, although there were very few I couldn't wear down. It's why I've done so well in business, but like you, I try to be as honest as I can, and I won't make a deal unless I can find a way to benefit as many as I can. I enjoy bailing companies out and helping them turn business around. Those are fun deals. Maybe it's just in my nature to be complimentary when it's deserved." He looked over at her again. "And you are worth every compliment I give you." Jennifer loved listening to him speak. She could easily see how he could command a boardroom's attention.

Jonathan found a parking spot and came around to open her door for her. He held her hand to help her out of the car, then didn't let go as they began walking toward the beach and Santa Monica Pier. Holding her hand felt natural to him. Thankfully it wasn't too crowded for an early September Saturday, and they walked along leisurely, just holding hands and chatting about the things they saw. They ate corn dogs and ice cream, and Jonathan realized that this was a woman who just went with the flow. Oftentimes, if he went on a date, the woman he was with expected glitz and glamour all the time, but having come from a very poor background, Jonathan enjoyed just about everything life had to offer. He definitely enjoyed the perks of being wealthy, but he was just as comfortable drinking beer while eating pizza as he was drinking Dom Perignon at a restaurant like Melisse. Jennifer looked up at him and realized he was a million miles away. She bumped her shoulder to his arm.

"Penny for your thoughts." Jonathan smiled down at her. Without her strappy sandals from last night, she was a few inches shorter than him.

"I was just realizing that this is one of the most enjoyable and relaxing days I've had in a very long time."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, especially since you didn't want to be on this date in the first place." Jonathan laughed.

"Oh, I very much want to be on this date." He looked at her seriously. "This date would have happened whether you won the auction or not." Jennifer stopped walking and looked up at him, challenging him.

"What if I would have said no when you asked for a date?" He took her challenge, leaned toward her so they were just inches apart, and called her bluff.

"You wouldn't have." She laughed.

"I might have. Or, if I tried to say no, would you have worn me down?"

"I definitely would have worn you down." She smiled slowly and his heart did a little flip-flop.

"And I would have let you." He gave her a curt little nod and a smirk.

"Glad we got that straight." She swatted at him and he took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm as they continued walking. "As much as I hate to end this part of our day, it's getting along into the afternoon. If we're going to drive back to the city and be on time for the theater, we should get going. Would you prefer dinner before or after the show?"

"What time does the show start?"

"7:30."

"Before, definitely."

"All right, let's head back." Before they turned around, Jennifer pushed up on her toes and kissed Jonathan on the cheek.

"This is the best day I've had in a long time too. "

Jonathan framed Jennifer's face with his hands and kissed her on the forehead, then took her hand for their walk back to the car.

On the way back to the city, they again chatted about everything and nothing.

When they got to Jonathan's penthouse, Max greeted them at the door.

"Everything's ready for you, Mr. H.. Hi, Miss Edwards. It's good to see you again."

"Hi, Max. Good to see you too." Jonathan asked Max to bring in Jennifer's things and put them in the guest bedroom.

"What sorts of things does Max have ready for you?" Jonathan just winked at Jennifer.

"Surprises." With that, he changed the subject. "Would you like a glass of wine while you get ready?"

"Hmm, that sounds wonderful. Thanks." Jonathan got her wine, then showed her to the guest room and bath.

"We should leave here by about 5:00 in order to make our dinner reservation at La Scala."

"I can be ready by then." She watched him walk to his room before turning into her own room to get cleaned up and dressed. When she walked in, she saw a large bouquet of flowers on the dresser with her name on the card. She plucked the card out and took a minute to marvel at the beauty of the lilies, snapdragons, and roses in varying hues of purple. Her room smelled like a garden. She fleetingly wondered how they got the deep purple in one of the roses, but the card drew her curiosity.

_Jennifer, I know how much you like surprises, but you are by far the best surprise I've ever gotten. Love, Jonathan_

She held the card to her chest as she felt that last brick crumble like the wall of Jericho and knew that there was no turning back. Jennifer Edwards was head over heels in love with Jonathan Hart.

At 5:00, Jonathan came out to find Jennifer in the kitchen with Max. Jonathan admired the way the emerald silk draped her body, and he definitely appreciated the length of her legs between the strappy heels and the just above the knee skirt.

"Jennifer, you look stunning." She turned and smiled at him. He was in a dark gray suit with a light gray shirt and dark green silk tie. It matched her dress perfectly and raised her suspicions. She walked over to him to straighten said tie.

"Did you get Max to take a peek at my dress or is us matching some sort of Jonathan Hart magic?" He gave her a mischievous grin.

"Hmmm, let's call it magic for now." As he ushered her out of the kitchen, he gave Max a point and a wink.

"Have fun you two. I won't wait up." Max heard them laugh as they walked out the front door.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner at La Scala was perfect. Since it was early, there were few people in the restaurant. Most of them were probably theater goers like Jonathan and Jennifer. The couple seemed to never run out of things to chat about and had fun talking about just about anything, even when they didn't agree.

"Favorite baseball team?"

"Yankees."

"No way. That might be a deal breaker right there. Dodgers all the way."

"Jonathan, I'm from New York, what did you expect?"

"A little better taste in baseball, Darling."

"My team had the better record last season, Darling." All Jonathan could do was look at her and smile. He knew when he was beat.

"Fine, I'll concede last year to you, but we'll see how they finish out this year. Favorite place to visit?"

"Hmmm, some place I haven't been yet. I love London, New York, Italy, and for some strange reason I've developed a recent affinity for Los Angeles, but Greece is on my bucket list." Jonathan lifted her hand off the table and kissed it.

"Greece is one place I haven't visited either. My business takes me many places, but I haven't traveled a great deal for pleasure. I've always figured that traveling is something better when shared with someone you care about." She smiled at the invitation she saw in his eyes and wondered again how she could possibly feel the way she did when she'd known him for less than 24 hours. Jonathan checked his watch to make sure they wouldn't be late, paid the bill, and they headed to the theater.

"Will you tell me what we're seeing?"

"The marquee should give it away shortly." Jonathan rounded the corner, and Jennifer saw the gold background with the large black star and silhouette that could only mean they were seeing _Hamilton_. She clapped her hands together under her chin and almost squealed, she was so excited.

"I've wanted to see this show since it came out, but it was sold out for so long, and even my press credentials couldn't get me in. Then I got busy with a few stories, and I realized that the show wasn't going anywhere." She looked over at Jonathan and took his hand. "Thank you, this is the perfect evening." He smiled slowly back at her.

"The evening isn't over, but I'm happy you're excited about the show. I was worried that with you living in New York, you might have seen everything on Broadway already."

"Even if I had already seen _Hamilton_, I wouldn't mind seeing it again. Having your company makes everything about this night that much better, regardless of what we do or see." They'd gotten out of the car and were walking the short block back to the theater. Jonathan had his arm around Jennifer's shoulders and he kissed her temple as they walked. He had no idea how he had ever lived without this woman before, and he still had no clue how he'd fallen so deeply in love with her in such a short amount of time. It made absolutely no sense, and for once he didn't care that he couldn't solve the puzzle.

They found their way inside the theater to their box and for the next three hours, Jonathan enjoyed watching Jennifer's reaction to the show almost more than he enjoyed the show itself. As they drove back to Jonathan's, they talked about their favorite parts and songs. They laughed at the flamboyance of Thomas Jefferson's character and King George's pun filled song.

"I think I may have to find a way to use the line, 'I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love', in my future board meetings. What do you think?" Jennifer's sides hurt from laughing.

"Darling, I think it's perfect. No one will oppose your ideas." Suddenly Jonathan got extremely serious. She felt the atmosphere in the car shift and waited for him to speak. He parked in his spot in the garage and sat for a minute before he turned to her. He took both her hands and brought them to his lips. His eyes mesmerized her, called to her.

"Stay with me tonight." He felt her stiffen. "Not in my bed. You can sleep in the guest room, but stay with me. Please?" He'd never asked a woman to stay with him before. He'd never wanted to, but Jennifer rocked his world in a way he never thought anyone would. Jonathan felt her relax a little so he pressed on. "I have all of these excuses for you, like it's late, or we should have a nightcap, but I'd like you to stay because you're feeling what I am. I just want as much time with you as I can get before you go back to New York." Blue and brown stayed locked, and Jennifer was as lost in him as he was in her. She nodded a little and was surprised to hear agreement in her own voice. The uncertainty and vulnerability she saw in his eyes helped make her decision. She'd made a point of never staying all night with a man. Enjoying his company, yes, but never the commitment of overnight. Even though she wouldn't be sleeping with Jonathan, this definitely felt like a monumental choice.

"I'll stay because I want that time with you too." He kissed her hands one more time before getting out of the car. Jennifer managed to exhale a long, shaky breath before Jonathan got to her side of the car to open the door for her.

When they got to the penthouse, he unlocked the front door and waited for her to walk through before closing it behind him and locking it for the night. Jennifer's journalistic mind likened the sound to the door of her own heart locking, and Jonathan holding the only key. She smiled a little to herself at the way her mind worked in metaphors all the time. Jonathan threw her words from earlier back at her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She blushed as she realized she'd been caught. She looked up at him sideways.

"Truth?"

"Always." They were moving toward the bar, and she was thankful he was in front of her so she had time to organize her thoughts. She definitely didn't want to tell him she was in love with him. That seemed a little crazy.

"I'm always a little out of my element at the end of a date. I never know quite what to say or do. I guess you caught me thinking that this date didn't have that awkwardness." Jonathan wondered how much he could get her to admit about her feelings regarding him. He knew physically she felt what he felt, and it seemed she cared about him, not just the story she was looking for, but he also knew she would probably think he was bonkers if he told her he was in love with her. He was hoping to find some even footing, but he figured Jennifer Edwards would always keep him on his toes and a little off balance. For once not being in complete control didn't scare him.

"I'm glad you're comfortable and that you enjoyed yourself today." He held a glass up for her with a questioning look.

"Vodka and tonic on the rocks, please." He gave an approving nod.

"Sounds good." He poured two glasses and handed her one. They moved to the couch and sat. Jonathan took Jennifer's feet, removed her shoes, and placed her legs over his. Running his hand up her calf almost made him regret that she was sleeping in the guest room. "_Reign it in, Hart, you have more than enough time to explore that aspect of this relationship._"

Jennifer could see the battle waging within Jonathan as he moved his eyes from her legs to her face, and she was tremendously flattered by the look in his eyes.

"What should we do tomorrow?"

"Well, you let me plan today, so you get to plan tomorrow. Is there anything you've never done in LA that you'd like to?"

"Why don't we drive up State Route 1 and do a little hiking along the coast? I love the ocean, and I don't get to it often enough." He smiled that smile that would always make her heart beat a little faster.

"That sounds like a great idea. We can make a picnic lunch and spend the day exploring." Jennifer tried to stifle a yawn. "Looks like I should let you get off to bed." He took her glass with his and set them both in the sink in the kitchen, then he returned to the living room and offered her a hand. When they got to the guest room door, she leaned up against the jamb.

"May I borrow something to sleep in? I didn't pack anything except my dress for tonight." Jonathan flashed a wicked smile at her but chose to keep his comment to himself, for the time being. He left her a little flushed and wondering what went through his mind as he walked into his own bedroom across the hall. He came back a minute later with the top half of a light blue, silk pajama set. He stood just inches away from her and held the top out to his side so that she had to reach for it.

"I'll wear the bottoms and you can wear the top." She found that idea ridiculously sexy and felt herself blush at the thought. Jonathan ran his finger over her cheek and put it under her chin to lift her face to his. "You are so beautiful." He just stood there, trapping her between him and the wall, staring into her eyes. "You stopped me from kissing you last night because we hadn't had our date yet. Now that we have, may I kiss you goodnight?" If he didn't kiss her, she thought she might go insane. If he did kiss her, she wondered if she would ever be able to get him out of her mind or her heart. She didn't trust her voice so she just nodded.

Jonathan put a hand on each arm, mindful of her right arm which was bruised from last night's encounter, and pulled her to him. Fireworks exploded for both of them the moment their lips touched, and Jonathan needed her closer. He slid one arm around her waist and the other up around the back of her neck and pulled her as close as he could get her. Jennifer wanted to put her arms around him, but she couldn't think, she couldn't move, she could only feel. Every synapse and nerve ending in her body responded to Jonathan's lips on hers. She heard a moan and realized that it came from her, and just when she thought she might literally melt, Jonathan broke their kiss and laid his forehead on hers. She watched his chest heave in and out and realized that their first kiss had the same effect on him as it did her. He rubbed his thumb across her jaw line and laid a second, sweet kiss on her lips.

"Sleep well, Darling."

"You too." With great reluctance, Jonathan moved away from Jennifer and backed into his room. Slowly he shut the door, knowing that he would get very little sleep. Jennifer backed into her room as well, her whole body still reeling in a way it never had before.


	7. Chapter 7

She awoke the next morning to the smell of roses and aftershave, as well as a slight tickle along her cheek. She took a deep breath and whispered good morning without opening her eyes. Jonathan was lying on his side, propped on one elbow, watching her sleep. With his free hand, he was tracing her chin with a dark pink rose.

"Good morning, Darling. I hope you don't mind me waking you up." She smiled lazily.

"No, I don't mind. I think I could get used to waking up like this." She opened her eyes and they were immediately drawn to his but quickly diverted to the strong expanse of chest that was exposed by the gaping top of his robe. She tried valiantly not to show how much that view affected her, but Jonathan smiled, relishing in the fact that he had as much of an effect on her as she did him. He wanted to kiss her fully awake but was afraid that if he did, they might not make it out of bed, and he wanted to respect her timing. He could wait. He had the rest of his life to make love to Jennifer Edwards.

She willed him to kiss her, but was slightly relieved when he didn't. Her libido was in high gear and she was still struggling with how to handle it. No man had ever had this type of visceral effect on her. Just then Jonathan got off the bed and came around to her side. He offered his hand, and she took it. Before her second foot hit the floor, he pulled her to him and took her mouth with his. As his lips moved over hers, she sank deeper into the kiss and ran one hand through his thick brown hair as her other found the opening of his robe and the coarse hair on his chest. Jonathan's skin was on fire where she touched him and he struggled to keep his hands on the fabric of her pajama top and not let them roam downward, especially since he knew the top hitched up when she put her arms around him. He finally found the will power to break their kiss but couldn't quite let her go. He held her for a few moments while his breathing evened out. Jonathan debated blurting out that he loved her, but wanted to wait a little longer. Besides, telling the woman you plan to marry that you love her deserved a better setting than being dressed in a robe. He planted light kisses along her cheek until he got to her ear. She was expecting him to make some sexy little comment.

"I think Max has breakfast ready. I can smell bacon." Her stomach growled at the mention of breakfast and their laughter abated some of the left over sexual tension. "Let me grab you a robe." Once she had it on, Jonathan took her hand and they headed to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mr. H., Ms. Edwards. Hope you slept well." Max could tell that his boss hadn't gotten a wink of sleep and tried to hide a knowing smile. Jennifer took the coffee cup Max held out to her.

"That bed is like sleeping on a cloud." Jonathan took the cup Max offered him and sat at the table.

"Did you have a chance to get the things I asked for yesterday, Max?"

"Yep, all taken care of, Mr. H."

"Thanks."

"What are you two up to today?" Jonathan gave a nod to Jennifer to answer since it was her agenda.

"We thought we'd take a drive up the coast. Maybe have a picnic lunch, hike the bluffs a little."

"That sounds good. I'll put together something for the road for you." Jennifer took her coffee and sat at the table next to Jonathan as Max brought fruit, bacon, eggs, and English muffins to the table. Jonathan grabbed some bacon as he asked about Max's day.

"I thought I'd go to the market after you two leave, and I've got a poker game this afternoon." They finished up breakfast, and Jennifer started to help Max with the dishes, but he shooed her out of the kitchen. As they headed toward showers and getting dressed for the day, Jennifer mentioned that she would be wearing the same clothes again today as she wore yesterday.

"Check the closet in your room, Darling." She did and turned a questioning stare at him.

"How did my suitcase get here? Is that what Max took care of for you?" Jonathan just smiled at her. "How did he get into my room?" Jonathan just kept smiling. "Darling, did you steal my key?" A thought suddenly struck her. "Was this here last night? Is that what that wicked gleam in your eye was all about when I asked for something to sleep in?" Jonathan's smile broadened with every question.

"If I tell you, I'll incriminate myself. I plead the 5th." Jennifer just shook her head and wagged her finger as she walked toward him.

"I'm going to have to keep my eye on you, buster." Jonathan took the tie of her robe and pulled her closer.

"I'm counting on it." They stood with barely a breath between them, not touching, until it seemed every part of Jennifer was tuned only to the man standing in front of her. He closed the gap between them and gave her a quick, thorough kiss before sending her off to shower and get dressed. Jonathan went across the hall and took a cold shower.

...

Their drive up the coast consisted of hand holding and long conversations about writing and business, childhood fantasies and school years, and other random questions and answers as they continued to learn more about each other. Jonathan and Jennifer were so engrossed in each other that neither of them noticed the car following them all the way from his place to their lunch stop. They'd just gotten the blanket spread on the beach and Jennifer was pulling out the bottle of champagne when they heard the grit of shoes on sand. She had a gun pointed directly at Jennifer's back.

"I need you to turn around and move away from Jonathan." Jonathan instinctively moved in front of the woman he loved.

"What do you want?" She looked at Jonathan as though he should know.

"You. This. It should have been mine." Jonathan still looked confused, as did Jennifer.

"I don't understand."

"She stole this day out from under me and turned it into two days. Her ridiculous bid of $75,000. I was the top bidder Friday. I should have won." The unknown woman practically spat the words. Jennifer tried not to sound sarcastic.

"This is all because of a date?" The woman sneered at Jennifer.

"Not just any date. I've been trying to catch Jonathan's attention for a while. Strategically placing myself at his table at this function. Being at the bar at the same time as him at another." She turned her attention on Jonathan. "But you don't even remember me, do you? You don't even recognize me from any of those stupid parties." Once she started naming some of the events, he hit on a vague recollection and hoped he could diffuse the situation a bit.

"I do think I remember seeing you, but we were never properly introduced."

"Like that matters. You didn't get properly introduced to her either, but here you are, on your second romantic date with her. She bought one date. Today should be mine, and it will be." Jonathan took a tentative step toward their assailant. "Don't get any closer to me. I don't want to hurt you. I just want a chance with you."

"How do you plan to make that happen?" Jonathan kept trying to talk to the woman. If she was talking to him, then she wasn't focused on Jennifer.

"I just want her out of the way. I want our date." She motioned back toward Jennifer with the gun. "The one she cheated me out of." Jonathan again took a step forward.

"Ok, but you don't need to hurt her for us to have a date. She can take my car back to LA, and you and I can have lunch. Nobody needs to get hurt." As he spoke, he slowly inched closer until he was within an arm's reach. Before she knew it, Jonathan grabbed her right hand and was able to disarm her. Jennifer pulled out her phone to call 911 as Jonathan cradled the weeping woman, keeping the gun well out of her reach. Between sobs she kept repeating, "I just need a chance."

Both Jonathan and Jennifer gave their statements to the Santa Barbara beat cops who responded. They found out the woman's name was Sandy and that Jonathan was not the first wealthy man she fixated on. Jennifer laughed when Jonathan responded with, "I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened by that." Once the police left, the couple sat down to enjoy their lunch, almost two hours later.

"Darling, I remember you thanking me after I won my date with you. You told me that you felt as though you owed me your life." She clinked her glass to his and winked at him. "I think we're even." He smiled at her.

"How about we don't make a habit of attracting gun toting people on our future dates?" They drank one more toast to that.

...

Another phone call was exchanged when the news of Sandy's arrest made its way to LA.

"I'm sure you've heard by now what that nitwit did."

"I did, yes. That's a problem that will have to be eliminated. I'll leave that up to you."

"Consider it done. Have you come up with a Plan B yet?"

"I'm doing some research. Now that Jennifer is part of this, I think I might get a little more intimately involved."


	8. Chapter 8

After lunch, Jennifer and Jonathan drove a little farther up the coast to a particular spot that Jonathan had in mind. Again, they fell into comfortable conversations and companionable silences. Morro Bay wasn't more than a couple hours north of Santa Barbara, but Jonathan stumbled upon this little gem on the coast a few years ago and knew that he wanted to come back some day. Today was that day. He and Jennifer wandered through the town and down to the bay. As they walked they got on to the subject of former romances.

"So, a few dalliances in your day but never anything serious?" Jonathan looked down at Jennifer as they walked with her arm tucked around his.

"Not really, no." He stopped for a minute to look down at her and stroke her cheek. "In fact, you are the first woman I've ever asked to stay with me overnight." They resumed walking. "There are a few ladies out there that I think fondly of from time to time, but no one that I wanted to keep in my life as more than a friend." "_Until now_.", but he kept that thought to himself for the time being. He wanted to hear Jennifer's story. "How about you?" He let Jennifer collect her thoughts, as he sensed that there was a bit of a story here. Finally she looked up at him, stopped, and looked out at the water.

"I'm not very good with relationships." She paused for a beat. "I've been in a few, but only one serious one." She turned to him. "I told you about my last one – the one where I kept cancelling our dates. Andy was probably tired of me anyway." Jonathan crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could look into her eyes.

"I can't imagine any man getting tired of you." She gave a half laugh.

"You'd be surprised. I don't seem to be what they want. That used to bother me, but I like who I am now and won't change just because someone else has a problem. " She turned back to the bay, and Jonathan moved so he could wrap his arms around her from behind. Jennifer leaned back into his strong embrace.

"I met Elliot Manning when I spent some time in London a while back. He was the first man I was really serious about, and I gave everything I had to the relationship, thinking he might be the one. I had all these romantic notions like you do when you're young and think you're in love. While I wouldn't say I was naïve, I definitely didn't see some of the early warning signs. I found out he was cheating on me, and I decided to end the relationship. He said some fairly ugly things to me, and basically told me it was my fault that he had to look for intimacy elsewhere, which proved his mean streak I saw once in a while." Jennifer gave a wave of her hand. "Anyway, after that, I threw myself back into my writing and didn't really pay too much attention to dating. I guess I'm too intense and focused for men to really look at me as someone they might want to date. Maybe I scare them off because I'm too independent, but at this point in my life, I am who I am." She gave a tiny shrug of the shoulder and felt Jonathan's lips graze her neck. Her knees went a little weak as he turned her toward him. He had a way of mesmerizing her with those blue eyes.

"Those _men_ are all idiots." He punctuated each sentence with a kiss. "I'm enchanted by you." "One of the first things I noticed about you was your independence." "I also recognized your spunk, determination, curiosity, sense of humor, wit, and everything else wrapped in this gorgeous package." "You are one in a million, Jennifer Edwards, and Elliott Manning was a fool to throw away what he had with you." Jennifer's head was spinning from his kisses, and she wanted to look away so he wouldn't see her blush, but she couldn't resist his gaze. Just then she heard a plane soaring overhead, and she turned toward the bay and the sky that glowed orange as the sun shifted toward the horizon. A small, single engine plane flew low over the water with a banner waving behind it. She pointed to it.

"Oh, look. I wonder what they're advertising." As it got closer, she read the words out loud. "Will you marry me?" She laughed and looked at Jonathan. "How sweet. I wonder who it's for." She looked up and down the surf. "There isn't anyone else on the beach." Jonathan glanced down at her, a mischievous twitch on his lips.

"Care to repeat what the banner said?" She looked up at him and laughed.

"Will you marry me?" He looked at her in all seriousness and her stomach did a little flip-flop.

"Yes, I will." She tilted her head as she tried to figure out what was really going on.

"Jonathan, did you set this up?"

"Will you say yes if I did?" She watched as he took a box out of his pocket. Inside was a diamond ring that caught the radiance of the setting sun and flared to life when he lifted the lid. "I bought this diamond a few years ago and had it set with the smaller stones. I knew that the woman I gave it to eventually would have to be as multifaceted and fiery as the center stone. I can't imagine anyone but you wearing it. Marry me, Jennifer. Please." He ran his thumb over her cheek as his gaze drew her in, again. Her eyes answered him before the word came out of her mouth.

"Yes." Jonathan's lips came crashing down on hers and any other thoughts in her mind vanished. When they finally came up for air, his mind moved to practical things. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed it before asking his next question.

"Are you hungry, Darling?" She smiled at him.

"Starving." He took her hand as they walked.

"I saw a little diner a ways back." As they ate, they lost track of time talking. When Jonathan checked his watch, he realized it was well after 10:00 pm. "Jennifer, if we're going to get back to LA, we should think about getting on the road. The drive is a little over three hours."

"Darling, are you sure you're going to be all right to drive that far? We've done a lot today, and we just split a bottle of wine."

"To be honest, I would rather stay here tonight and drive tomorrow. Are you sure that's all right?"

"Of course." Jonathan paid the bill and drove to a great little inn he knew. He parked the car and helped Jennifer out before he grabbed the duffel bag out of the trunk. Jennifer gave him a sideways glance.

"You just happen to have a bag in the car?" He gave her a most endearing smile.

"I wanted to be prepared, in case it got late like this and we didn't feel like driving home." He wrapped an arm around her. "Let's go book a couple of rooms." Jennifer turned to him and the look in her eyes had Jonathan's heart hammering in his chest.

"We only need one room." He placed his hand on her face and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

"Are you sure?" She turned her head slightly and kissed his palm.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be tonight than in your arms." Jonathan threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her mouth to his for a scorching kiss.

On the way to the room, Jonathan stopped to give Max a call while Jennifer headed down the hallway.

"Hey Max, how was the poker game?"

"Mr. H., Poker was not my friend today. How's your day?" Jonathan decided the story of Sandy could wait until they got back to LA.

"It was great. Jennifer and I ended up in Morro Bay, and since it's so late, we're going to stay overnight."

"Morro Bay, huh? Did she say yes?" Jonathan shook his head in surprise.

"You remember that conversation?" Max took a puff of his cigar.

"Of course I do. You'd been up there to recharge and told me all about it. You told me that the next time you went, it would be to ask the woman you loved to marry you. You even showed me the ring you had made. So, did Ms. Edwards say yes?"

"She did, Max. Jennifer actually asked me first, but I'll tell you that story when we get back. The soon to be Mrs. H., might tell it a little differently. We'll see you tomorrow."

The Sunset Suite at the Estero Inn was theirs for the night. Jennifer was feeling a little warm, so she wandered over to the balcony and stepped out. Jonathan came in shortly after her, laid the bag on the bed and joined her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and trailed kisses behind her ear.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jennifer laughed softly and turned into Jonathan's embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and swayed with him in the darkness."

"My thoughts are everywhere right now." Jonathan tipped her face up.

"Darling, if this isn't the right time, I can go book another room." She shook her head.

"No, it isn't that." She took a deep breath and tried to explain what she was feeling. "I never believed in that instantaneous _Romeo and Juliet_ kind of love. I thought it was only something found in books and movies, not real life, but then I met you Friday night and my world turned upside down." She glanced over his shoulder, held her hand up to look at the ring on her finger, and smiled. "When did you know?"

"The moment I saw how you handled yourself with the drunk. I fell completely when you laughed at something while we were dancing." He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "You have the most enchanting laugh." He threw her question back at her. "When did you know?"

"When I saw the look in your eyes as you talked about Max, but the last brick crumbled when I read the note you left in the flowers." He kissed her again.

"So, you liked the flowers?"

"You are quite the romantic, Darling." He took her hand and led her back into the room.

"Why don't you let me show you exactly how romantic I can be?" He pulled a rose out of the duffel bag and handed it to her.

"Now I know the Jonathan Hart magic is real." He smiled at her and pulled her to him. With his nose touching hers, he told her what he'd wanted to tell her within minutes of meeting her.

"I love you, you know." She closed the gap for a soft kiss.

"I love you, too." He smiled the smile that made her heart stutter. It didn't regain a regular rhythm until much later in the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Jennifer came slowly awake and had to reorient herself. Normally when she woke, she was on her stomach with her arms wrapped around her pillow. Without opening her eyes, she took stock of the strong arms wrapped around her and the broad chest she was snuggled on top of. She smiled slowly as her body began to remember what was making her so sleepy and sated in the first place. She placed a soft kiss on Jonathan's chest and curled into him as he tightened his embrace. He kissed the top of her head.

"Good morning, Darling."

"I don't think it is morning. It's still dark out. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Waking up with you in my arms is nothing to be sorry for." She scooted up so she could kiss his cheek, but he turned his head and kissed her fully.

"Mmm, I could get used to waking up like this."

"Well, I plan on waking you up a little more." She laughed.

"Oh yeah? Don't you have to get back to LA for mergers and other corporate things?" Jonathan gave her the same wicked smile she'd seen when she asked him for something to sleep in Saturday night.

"I'm planning a merger of a different kind this morning." She gasped as his mouth took hers and his hands slid seductively up her body.

Much later they left the inn and headed back to LA. Jonathan took Jennifer's hand and brought it to his lips.

"Thank you for the most amazing night and morning of my life, Darling." She looked at him slyly.

"Darling, it was absolutely my pleasure."

"No, it was our pleasure." He kissed her hand again and they rode along in silence for a bit. At one point, Jonathan called his secretary, Deanne, to let her know that he wouldn't be in until after noon. Suddenly, Jennifer told Jonathan to pull over, and she scrambled out of the car almost as soon as it came to a stop. Jonathan killed the ignition and ran to where Jennifer was crouched on the side of the road.

"Are you all right, Darling? Are you sick?" She looked up at him slightly horrified. When he looked over her shoulder, he saw the box.

Inside they found a gray, furry, fluff of a puppy. He couldn't have been more than a few months old. When Jennifer reached inside the box, the pup licked her hand and jumped into her hands. Jonathan caught her so she didn't fall over. "Oh, Jonathan, look at this little face. How could anyone be so cruel and leave him on the side of the road?" Jonathan rubbed a hand down her arm.

"How did you know to stop? I saw the box but thought it was trash that fell off a truck or something." Jennifer shook her head.

"I'm not really sure. I thought I saw it move, and I had to check." The puppy was so excited to be rescued that he was wriggling and making it hard for Jennifer to hang onto him. He kept trying to lick her face and get to Jonathan at the same time. Jennifer looked around, but there were just cars zooming past. They were on a stretch of road that didn't really have any businesses or houses. "Jonathan, we can't just leave him here." He knew what she was asking, and he totally agreed with her, even though he'd never really considered himself a pet person.

"Let's take him home. Max'll love him." Jennifer hugged Jonathan and kissed his cheek. They got back in the car and resumed the drive to LA.

"We'll have to stop and get some puppy food and a few other things on the way back to your place." She stopped and looked at Jonathan, a thought occurring to her. "Can you have a dog in your building?" He laughed.

"Let me ask the owner." Jonathan looked in his rearview mirror. "Is it all right if I have a dog?" He changed his voice. "Yes, I think that would be splendid." He changed his voice back to his regular voice. "Wonderful. That will make the woman I love very happy." Jennifer was laughing at the crazy man sitting next to her.

"You're an absolute nut, you know that?" She looked down at the mop in her lap and scratched his ears. "He's a nut, isn't he?" The pup gave a short yip and a sneeze in response. Jennifer looked at Jonathan. "What should we name him?"

"Well, we found him on the freeway." Jennifer gave Jonathan a quizzical look.

"You want to name a dog, Freeway?" Again, the pup yipped and sneezed. Both Jonathan and Jennifer laughed.

"I guess that settles it. Welcome to the family, Freeway." Jonathan reached over and ruffled the dog's head; he got a hand lick in response.

...

When Jonathan and Jennifer got back, as they figured, Max fell in love instantly, even though he feigned indifference. They got the car unloaded and changed to head into town and Hart Industries. Before they left, and after Max had given Jennifer a big hug to welcome her to the family, she stopped Jonathan to ask for a favor. She hoped he understood why she was asking.

"Darling, would it be all right if we don't announce the engagement right away." She expected him to put up a bit of resistance, but she should have known he would understand.

"You want to wait until you've had time to speak to your father?" She smiled at him.

"Yes. I already have plans to spend the weekend with him. Come with me to Maryland, and after that, we can tell everyone. I just don't want him to read about it in the papers first."

"Then we'll head to Maryland for the weekend." Jennifer kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for understanding."

"Of course." He put his hand on her back as they headed out the door. He threw a goodbye over his shoulder to Max.

...

Deanne wasn't at her desk when Jonathan got to the office, so he got Jennifer settled with her laptop at the table and sat down at his desk to check messages. They'd worked out that Jennifer would start her article with what she already knew about Jonathan and ask questions as they came up. Both were engrossed in their own work when Deanne buzzed from her desk.

"Yes, Deanne?"

"Mr. Hart, Stanley is here to see you."

"Thanks, Deanne. Send him in." In his usual fashion, Stanley didn't make it through the door without dropping the report he was carrying. However, what Stanley Friesen lacked in coordination, he made up for in work ethic. He was one of the first researchers that Jonathan hired after starting Hart Industries and was meticulous in everything Jonathan asked of him. He was now one of Jonathan's most trusted associates.

"Stanley, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Hart. I have those projections you asked me for." He glanced over and noticed Jennifer. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. I didn't realize you had company." Stanley had never seen a woman in Mr. Hart's office that didn't work at Hart Industries or who wasn't part of a deal that was in the works. Jennifer stood and came over to Stanley to shake his hand.

"I'm Jennifer Edwards." Jonathan expanded on why she was there.

"Jennifer is a reporter from New York and is doing a story on Hart Industries." Jennifer smiled brilliantly at Jonathan. Stanley was floored.

"Mr. Hart, you never talk to reporters. I guess maybe that Forbes article pushed you toward letting yourself out there a little more, huh?" Jonathan tried not to grimace.

"That came out today, didn't it?" Just then, Deanne walked into the office.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. Your copy was delivered with the mail, but I wasn't sure if you would want to see it. I was waiting until you got in to ask." She handed him the magazine with his picture on the cover.

"It's all right, Deanne. Thanks." Jonathan introduced Jennifer to Deanne before she and Stanley went back to their desks and duties. Stanley shut the office door on his way out.

Jennifer walked up behind Jonathan, who was seated on the corner of his desk, and peeked over his shoulder at the cover. There was a smaller picture of all the bachelors in the bottom corner of the front page.

"Hey, that's a great shot. You look rather dapper." She took the magazine from him and opened to the full article. "I like the photo they put in there of us too." She showed it to him, but Jonathan shifted, set the magazine down on his desk, and wrapped his arms around Jennifer's waist all in one smooth move.

"There's only one problem." Jennifer put her arms around his neck.

"Oh? What's that?" He kissed her neck.

"I'm no longer a bachelor." He reveled in the sound of her knowing laugh.

"That article worked pretty well, didn't it?" Jonathan laughed with her.

"I guess it did." Just then his phone rang. "Yes, Deanne?"

"Mr. Hart, Sharna Jones is on the line for you." He raised an eyebrow at Jennifer.

"Put her through, will you, Deanne?" He mouthed, "This ought to be good", to Jennifer while the call transferred.

"Sharna? How are you?...Yes, I got a copy of the magazine. ….I have a subscription, remember?...You're welcome. ….No, you're right. I didn't want to do the shoot. ….Yes, I did get a very interesting date out of the whole deal. ….Jennifer is rather amazing. ….Listen, could you send me the digital image of the photo you used of Jennifer and me for the article? ….Thanks. ….I think we could arrange that. ….All right. ….Yes, I'll call the next time I'm in New York. ….Thanks again for coming to California for the shoot. ….Bye." Jonathan hung up the phone.

"I feel like I just talked to a tornado." Jennifer smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I like the windblown look on you." He kissed her soundly.

"Sharna says we need to double date with her the next time I'm in New York."

"Why does she think that I would see you in New York?" He snuggled her a little closer.

"Apparently she thinks we're a good match."

"Hmm, I agree."

"She's also sending me a copy of our photo."

"That's nice of her."

"And she got the flowers I sent to her office this morning."

"What do flowers have to with anything?"

"Well, it wasn't the flowers so much as the card. I told her that even though I hated being in the spotlight, the date auction was the best thing that ever happened to me." Again, Jennifer ran her fingers through Jonathan's hair. After every sentence, Jonathan found somewhere to kiss the woman in front of him. Her brain was beginning to go foggy.

"It was, huh?" Jonathan's mouth was busy with his fiancé's neck, so he just mumbled an "umm hmm". His hand was also inching up her outer thigh under her skirt, and Stanley chose this particular time to come barreling back in to Jonathan's office.

"Mr. Hart, I'm so sorry. I couldn't find my pen and thought I might have left it in here." Jennifer could see how embarrassed Stanley was as he swallowed and tried not to look in the direction of his boss. "I'll just go now." Jennifer attempted to hide her laugh until Stanley was gone.

"Darling, we might have scarred that poor man for life." She turned back to Jonathan, whose hand was still roaming up her thigh. "I think you'll be the talk of the office for the rest of the week." At this point, Jonathan didn't really care. He moved Jennifer so he could stand up and pulled her to him so he could kiss her thoroughly.

"I think we need to finish our business at home, Darling." She gave him a saucy smile.

"Jonathan, you're not going to be one of those work-a-holic husbands who always brings his work home are you?"

"The only thing I want to work on at home is you." She gave him another kiss.

"Then we should get home so you can get to work."


	10. Chapter 10

He was throwing darts at the Forbes cover while he spoke to his associate on the phone. He'd already cut the picture of Jennifer and Jonathan from the interior pages and ripped it down the middle between Jennifer and Jonathan.

"We're going to Maryland for the weekend."

"Maryland? What's in Maryland?"

"Jennifer Edwards. She's heading home to visit her dear old dad. I think I'll pay her a visit so we can catch up."

"You know her?"

"Once upon a time, yes. Let's just say she robbed me of my happily ever after. Now I can pay her back and get what I want from Hart. Kill two birds with one stone, as the old cliché goes."

...

After dinner, both Jonathan and Jennifer had a bit of work to finish. Jonathan needed to go over the reports Stanley dropped off earlier, and Jennifer wanted to finish her story. She had to fly back to New York in the morning, and she'd promised Jonathan that he could give his input on the article she was writing about him, the Forbes cover, and Hart Industries. Jennifer came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders.

"Darling, let me know when you're done with your reports. I've finished the article."

"Hmm, I'm almost done. That feels really good." She continued kneading the tension out of his shoulders while he finished reading. Suddenly he closed the folder and pulled Jennifer around the chair and into his lap. She laughed at the gleam in his eye.

"Jonathan, this is exactly why we needed to finish work after dinner." He grinned at her and kissed her softly.

"All right, spoilsport." He removed his arms from around her waist so she could stand and get her laptop, then he joined her on the couch. "Let me read what you wrote." Jennifer watched Jonathan's expression as he read through her writing. In her article she talked about his younger years spent in the orphanage and meeting Max. She left out some of their more questionable activities, however, as well as some of the more personal memories, like Max introducing Jonathan to his first omelet and the ballet. Jennifer also wrote at length about Jonathan's grand idea of Hart Industries and how Max was the one to foster that idea, cementing his faith in Jonathan by loaning the young man some of the start up cash. As part of her section on Hart Industries, she outlined all of the charitable work their foundation did, helping fund places like the Mission Street Orphanage. Jennifer tried to keep as much anonymity about his personal life as she could but she absolutely pontificated on his prowess in the business world and what the employees of Hart Industries thought of him. She included quotes she'd gleaned from competitors and associates over the past couple of years, as well as quotes from various employees on what a great boss Jonathan was. He turned to her. "When did you talk to all these people?"

"Some of those quotes I've had for a while, but the ones from your staff happened today. You were on the phone, and I told you I needed to stretch my legs." He interrupted her.

"They're exceptional legs." She laughed and swatted at him.

"Getting back to my story, the employees at Hart Industries love you, Darling. They were all too happy to tell me how wonderful you are." He just shook his head slightly, embarrassed by the attention. She ended the article by talking about how Jonathan has been a consistent presence on the Forbes Fortune 500 list for the past few years, and how he just recently was honored as one of their Most Eligible Bachelors of the year. Her final sentence was, "_It wouldn't surprise this reporter at all if he was chosen as __Time Magazine's__ Man of the Year in the near future._" Jennifer could tell he'd finished reading, but he just sat there for a few minutes. She could hardly stand the suspense and figured that if he was this quiet for this long, he was trying to figure out a way to tell her he didn't want her publish the story. She wanted to ask, but she didn't want to push, so she just chewed on her thumbnail as she waited. Finally, he closed the laptop, set it on the coffee table, and turned to her. She had one elbow on the back of the couch with her head propped against her hand, so he took her free hand and brought it to his lips.

"I knew there was a reason I could only trust you with my story." Jennifer took a deep breath.

"Then, you like it?"

"I think you might have been a little over zealous in your descriptions of me, but you told the story and let me keep my privacy. I still seem a little mysterious, which I like, but Hart Industries was sold as the solid, honest, built on the people who work for it type company that it is. Thank you." He leaned forward and kissed her.

"Mr. H., do you two need anything else." Max stopped short. "Oops, sorry, Mr. H., Ms. Edwards. Now that you two are together, I'm going to have to work on my timing." Jonathan and Jennifer laughed and Jonathan looked back at Jennifer with that look that made her tremble.

"No, I think we're just fine, Max."

"All right, then I'm headed off to bed. I'll be up to fix you breakfast before you leave for the airport, Ms. Edwards." Jennifer smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks, Max. That's sweet of you."

...

The next morning, Jonathan and Jennifer stood just outside of the security checkpoint at LAX. Jennifer's flight left in a little over an hour. Jonathan's plan was to fly to New York on Thursday and then he and Jennifer would drive to Maryland on Friday to spend the weekend with Stephen Edwards.

"Darling, it just doesn't make any sense for you to fly commercial when I have the corporate jet." Jennifer put her arms around his neck.

"Darling, it just doesn't make any sense for your pilot to haul me all the way to New York, only to turn around and do the same for you in 48 hours. He would hardly make the minimum down time before having to be in the air again." Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist. "Besides, it costs you more to put your plane in the air than my ticket."

"That's very frugal of you." Jennifer laughed at him.

"Are you making fun of me?" He smiled at her.

"Just wondering why you're so thrifty today when you spent $75,000 on Friday for a date with me." She looked off to her left, then back at him.

"Jonathan, you're never going to let me live that down are you?" He shook his head.

"Uh-uh." He wanted to tell her she was adorable, but she stuck her finger in his chest and started her retort.

"Perhaps I didn't pay for a date with you. Maybe I just made a donation to a very worthy cause. Did you ever think about that?" He loved when she got sassy with him.

"Nope. Because you love me." He leaned in and kissed her. "You wanted that date with me." He kissed her again.

"I wanted an interview with you." She was enjoying their little banter quite a bit. "I wanted you to realize that I was the only reporter you wanted to talk to." She waited and wasn't disappointed when he kissed her again.

"You agreed to the date before I agreed to the interview." As he kissed her again he could see the wheels continue to turn.

"I wanted to see Max again." She got another kiss. "He's quite charming." Jonathan pulled back an inch and did his best to look hurt.

"You said I was charming." She kissed him this time.

"You grew on me." Jonathan couldn't hold back the laugh anymore and pulled her tightly to him. He kissed her by her ear and whispered to her how much he would miss her.

"I know it's only two days, but I can't imagine being away from you." She leaned back so she could look into his eyes.

"I'll miss you too, Darling. Give Freeway a couple kisses for me." She hugged him again. "These are for you." With that she pushed up on her toes and kissed him. He waved to her as she cruised through security due to her elite flying status. Once she'd been cleared, she turned around and blew him another kiss. He waited until he couldn't see her before he headed to the office. As he was getting in his car, his phone rang and her face showed up on his screen. Just seeing that made his heart smile.

"Hello, Darling. This is a nice surprise."

"Hi there. I just wanted to hear your voice and see you one more time before I get on the plane."

"Aww. That's sweet. I miss you already."

"I miss you too." He could hear them begin boarding her plane.

"Call me when you get home."

"I'll call you when I get to New York. Home is where ever you are from now on." His smile lit up his entire face.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She blew another kiss through the phone, and they disconnected.


	11. Chapter 11

Jennifer had barely set her suitcase down when the doorbell rang at her apartment.

"_What in the world_…Who is it?"

"Nelson's Flowers. I've got a delivery for Jennifer Edwards."

Jennifer checked the peephole and opened the door. She exchanged a tip for the bouquet and headed to the kitchen. Before she even took the florist's paper off, the scent of the flowers filled the room. She retrieved a vase, filled it with warm water, and added the powder in the little packet attached to the plastic overwrap. As she placed the bright oranges, vibrant yellows, and deep reds of roses, dahlias, and lilies into the vase, she smiled. After the flowers were arranged, she opened the card. "_Darling, these made me think of the sunset the night you made me the happiest man on the planet. I can't wait to hold you again. All my love, Jonathan_"

Jennifer pulled out her phone so she could video chat with the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, Jonathan didn't pick up, so she took a quick video thanking him for the flowers, and blew him a kiss. She texted it to him, knowing he would call back when he could.

The next couple of days flew by, and Jennifer struggled to concentrate at work on Thursday. She finished her story on Jonathan, Hart Industries, and the Forbes Bachelor of the Year article, which received rave reviews from her boss, and would be on the front page of the traditional Sunday paper; in addition to that it would be the headliner for all their media outlets. Jennifer also broached the subject of changing her status from a New York based reporter to free lance. Much of her latest work sent her traveling anyway, so it wouldn't be a huge switch, and because it was something she had always aspired to, it didn't draw questions that she wasn't prepared to answer yet. At her place, she began the process of sorting through her belongings and figuring out what she wanted to take with her when she moved to California and what she would sell or leave behind. While she knew she might be jumping the gun a bit, she also couldn't imagine Jonathan wanting a long engagement. She knew she didn't want one. The sooner she became Mrs. Jonathan Hart, the happier she would be. Jennifer had her engagement ring on a chain around her neck, and when no one was around, she pulled it out and looked at it. At home, she wore it on her finger. Even though she and Jonathan spoke several times a day, she missed his physical presence. Tonight though, they would finally get to see each other again. She was already packed for the weekend so that she could spend all of her time with Jonathan rather than sorting through drawers.

Over the past couple of days, Jonathan worked to get everything in order for his absence from the office. Thankfully he had solid people he could put in place if he needed to be gone for a few days. He also fielded a call from a Lt. Herschel Grey with the LAPD. Apparently the young woman who came after Jennifer was found dead in her car. Evidence suggested suicide, but Jonathan wondered if that was truly the case. He put it out of his mind though as Thursday rolled around. Jonathan took time on the almost six hour flight to finalize some of the surprises he had in store for Jennifer when he got to New York. Without Jennifer's knowledge, he'd already had several conversations with her father. Jonathan and Stephen had a quite a bit in common other than their love for Jennifer, and Jonathan found he enjoyed talking to Steven about many things. Thankfully the young couple had the full support of the older man. Jonathan also found where Jennifer got her sense of humor as Stephen ribbed him quite a bit about the Forbes bachelor piece. Jonathan called him one last time from the plane to see if there was anything else that needed to be done before he and Jennifer arrived on Friday.

"Hi Steven, it's Jonathan."

"Jonathan, my boy. How are you? Where are you?" Jonathan took a look out the window.

"I'm probably about 32,000 feet up and somewhere over Nebraska, so I'm good because I'm headed east." Steven laughed his easy laugh.

"Well everything here is under control. I've checked everything off my list and am just anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"Wonderful. I really appreciate it. I look forward to meeting you in person and taking a tour of the gallery over the weekend."

"Me too. See you tomorrow." They disconnected and Jonathan turned to Max.

"Max, you've got the hardest job. You're going to have keep Freeway from getting off the plane once he realizes Jennifer is on the tarmac." Max took a puff of the cigar.

"It's no problem, Mr. H.. Freeway and me will head to the back, and I'll shut the door. I've got a couple of t-r-e-a-t-esses in my pocket for him too. That should keep him quiet til the outer door closes." Max looked at Freeway, who was currently sniffing the treat filled pocket. "Not yet boy. Those are for later." Freeway looked from Max to Jonathan, then put his head on his paws, clearly disappointed to be denied. "You know, Mr. H., sometimes I swear this dog is human."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Max perused his latest racing magazine and Jonathan finished up some work and the last of his surprises.

...

Two men checked into a pay by the day motel on the outskirts of Jennifer's hometown and finished their preparations as well.

"Why don't you go grab us some food. I want to double check a few things here, and then we can eat while we go over the plan one more time." His associate left, and he pulled the case onto the desk. He clicked open the locks and pulled out the rifle with the high powered scope. He inspected it to make sure everything was in working order and polished the lens on the scope.

When his associate returned, they ate burgers and fries while they tried to figure the different contingencies and variables.

"According to my friend at the paper, Jennifer is driving in from New York tomorrow. It's about a three and a half hour drive, so I want to be on the property no later than 9:00 am. I doubt that she'll be up with the sun, but we need to get set up. Once we've got her, we should be able to force Jonathan Hart to give us what we want." He gave the other man a hard look. "This has to go off without a hitch."

"I got it. Don't worry."

...

Jennifer was standing on the tarmac when Jonathan's plane taxied in. She had no idea how he got her clearance to be out here, but she was glad. It was a windy September evening in New York, and her hair was whipping all around her head. She didn't care, however, because in just a few minutes she would be in Jonathan's arms. She could hardly contain herself as he made his way down the steps, and she went flying into his embrace before both his feet hit the concrete.

"Oh, I missed you." Jonathan pressed his lips to hers and their last two days apart were forgotten.

"I missed you too." As she kissed him, Jennifer thought she heard a dog bark. She looked around Jonathan and saw Freeway bounding down the steps toward her. She laughed in delight.

"Freeway? What are you doing here, baby?" She scooped him up as Max headed their way.

"I'm sorry Mr. H. He's sneaky when he wants to be. He took the treat and ran."

"It's all right, Max. We'll just let her in on this little surprise a bit early." Jennifer looked at both men.

"What have you two been up to?" Jonathan tried to look innocent.

"Not much. I just figured that it might be nice to introduce the whole family to your father. I've already arranged for Max and Freeway to fly on to Maryland tonight, so they'll be there when we get there tomorrow." She looked at him suspiciously.

"You've already talked to Pa? What else did you arrange with him?" Jonathan's innocent act wasn't working, and he knew it, so he tried his poker bluff.

"Not much. I did set up a tour of his gallery while we're there. He's putting together a show for a new artist." Thankfully the distraction worked, for two seconds.

"He told me about that, but he didn't mention that he'd spoken to you." Jonathan shrugged.

"Well, there isn't really anything to tell."

"Um-hm. We'll see about that." Jonathan's pilot came down to tell him that they were cleared for take-off, so Jennifer handed Freeway to Max, and she and Jonathan waved as the plane headed back toward the runway. They chatted all the way back to her apartment about what each had been up to the last couple of days.

"I know I told you how much my boss loved the story, but I don't think I told you that it's the main story for Sunday."

"No, you didn't. Darling, that's great!" As she maneuvered through New York traffic, she shot Jonathan a sideways glance.

"So what's all this planning you did with my father?" Jonathan laughed.

"Darling, have I told you what a relentless and wonderful journalist you are?" She smiled.

"Not lately, but you can tell me whenever you want. Now, spill." He kissed her hand.

"Jennifer, I am inclined to give you everything you want in the world, but not this time." He laughed again at the indignation written all over her face. "You love surprises, right?" He had her there, but the petulance in her voice made him laugh again.

"Darling, you know I do, but you also need to know that I am extremely impatient while waiting for them."

"Point taken. How about if I give you one of your surprises when we get to your place, then?"

"It's a good thing we're almost there." She could wait, and she had a couple of surprises of her own.

Jennifer intended to order pizza for dinner, but as she booted her laptop, Jonathan wrapped his arms around her from behind. His mouth on her neck and his roving hands caused her to have to re-enter her password three times.

"Jonathan, you're making it extremely difficult to order." He turned her to him and kissed her completely senseless.

"Darling, tonight I have a craving for dessert before dinner."

"Funny, I have that same craving right now."


	12. Chapter 12

Much later they found themselves eating pizza and drinking wine in their robes while looking at three potential properties for their home once they got married.

"The husband of the head of my legal department is a realtor, so I asked him to find me three completely different houses. Not knowing what we might be looking for, I thought this was the best way to get started." She looked at him, sitting next to her at her little kitchen table and loved the idea of doing this every day for the rest of her life.

"Darling, when do you want to get married?" He kissed her.

"Soon. Very soon." She smiled as she kissed him, glad that he didn't want a long engagement. She read through the listings carefully and had no doubt which was her favorite.

"Have you walked through any of these?" Jonathan nodded.

"Pete took me through the one I liked best, and it looks even better in person. He assured me that they are all move in ready."

"Which was your favorite?"

"Uh-uh. You first." She took the laptop and opened the tab with her favorite so she could show it to him.

"This one, on Willow Pond Lane. I love the idea of this beautiful little house surrounded by trees and the pond. Forty-eight acres leaves plenty of room for a stable if we wanted to build one, even with the pool and tennis courts. It's got more than enough room for all of us." Jonathan loved the excitement in her voice and how animated she was when she talked about it.

"That's my favorite too. I can see us throwing dinner parties or having poker nights, for Max of course." She laughed as she kissed him.

"Of course."

"I can see us cuddled up in the living room in front of the fire after a long day, you in my arms, Freeway on my feet." Jennifer got up from her chair and moved to Jonathan's lap so she could snuggle into his arms.

"That's a lovely picture you're painting."

"Darling, any painting you're in is lovely."

"Aww." She kissed him again. "Was this one of my surprises?"

"Um-hm. Did you like it?" She beamed at him.

"I love it. I love planning a future with you." She shook her head a little, as if to clear it. "It's all a little surreal if you think about it. I've known you less than a week, but I feel as though we've been together for years. I have no idea how to explain it." He gave her a gentle kiss.

"I know what you mean. In business, I check everything, then double check, have Stanley check it, and recheck it myself. I need to make sure everything adds up before I make an offer or move on a deal." He brought his hand up and stroked her cheek. "With you, I just knew I couldn't live without you from the moment I met you. It doesn't make any sense. All I do know is that I love you." She tightened her arms around him and held on for a moment.

"I love you too."

...

The next morning, they got up and on the road to Maryland. Jennifer drove since she knew the way and Jonathan was still on California time. He snoozed a bit as she maneuvered the roads from state to state, and she called to give a head's up on their arrival time. As she pulled into the driveway of Briarwood and her childhood, memories came flooding back like they always did. Jonathan could see the nostalgia in her eyes.

"It's a beautiful estate." She smiled at him.

"It is. I loved being a child here. I always felt so free flying across the grounds on Sweet Sue. Whenever I came in from riding, the first thing I had to do was wash up, but then Walter would sneak me a little treat of some sort."

"Walter is your father's house man?"

"Yes. I suppose you could call him the east coast version of Max." They had come to a stop near the front door, and got out of the car to the exuberant barking of Freeway. Jonathan scooped the dog up and gave him a squeeze. Jennifer rubbed his ears and kissed his nose. Her father was waiting on the porch.

"Hi, Dad!" She was wrapped in a familiar embrace and inhaled the scent of his aftershave and pipe tobacco.

"Sweetheart, it's so good to see you. It's been too long."

"I know. I'm sorry. Last month was crazy, and the weekends just slipped away from me." She turned to Jonathan who was holding a wiggly puppy. "Dad, this is Jonathan Hart, and you've already met Freeway." Jonathan extended his hand.

"Mr. Edwards, it's good to put a face with the voice." Steven shook Jonathan's hand.

"Steven, please. This is Walter." Jonathan shook Walter's hand as well.

"Walter, nice to meet you."

"You too Mr. Hart. Miss Jennifer, it's wonderful to see you again." Jennifer walked to him for a hug.

"Oh, Walter. I've missed you and your cooking. How's Pa really been?" She gave him a conspiratal wink.

"You know your father, Miss Jennifer. Ornery and stubborn as ever." She laughed and walked into the house arm and arm with Walter. They laughed together as her father yelled from the porch,

"Walter, I can still fire you."

Jonathan was getting the bags out of the trunk when he caught a flash of light off to his left. He looked in the direction it came from and saw nothing but trees. He stared a bit longer.

"Jonathan, is something wrong?"

"Mr. H., you ok?" Both the older men on the porch addressed Jonathan at the same time.

"I'm fine. I just thought I saw something. I caught it out of the corner of my eye." He grabbed the bags and shut the trunk.

"Is that your land over there, Steven?" Jonathan pointed to where the flash came from.

"Some of it, yes. That's near the border of my estate." Jonathan gave a little nod and took the bags inside.

...

"Dammit." He'd been watching Jennifer's arrival at the estate through the field glasses when he noticed Jonathan look straight at him.

"What's wrong? Didn't she show?"

"Yes, and it might turn out better than we thought because Hart is with her, but somehow he saw something. He looked right at me."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's not like he could see you through the trees."

"I know he couldn't see me, but if he's suspicious, this whole plan might blow up in our faces. We need this to work or we are both dead." He stowed his gear and started for the truck. "Let's head back and rework the plan now that we have both targets on the same field."


	13. Chapter 13

Walter had lunch prepared for them, and it was a beautiful day, so they ate on the terrace. Jennifer decided it was the perfect time to let her father know about her engagement to Jonathan.

"Dad, I have some news for you."

"Oh, what's that, Sweetheart?" She reached over and took Jonathan's hand in hers.

"Jonathan and I are engaged." Steven Edwards got up and pulled his daughter into a strong embrace.

"I am so happy for you. All I've ever wanted is for you to find the love and success you deserve." He pulled back so he could look at her. "You found success easily. Now, with Jonathan, you'll have everything." Jennifer's eyes filled a bit.

"Thank you, Dad. I was hoping you'd be happy for us." They sat again.

"When is the wedding?" Jonathan had to give Steven a lot of credit for his gift of acting surprised.

"We haven't set a date yet, but Jonathan and I are hoping it will be soon, right Darling?" Jonathan was having a hard time holding back his smile as he answered her.

"Right." Jennifer narrowed her eyes and looked at both her fiancé and her father. She wagged her finger back and forth between the two.

"What am I missing? There's definitely something going on between you two."

"Well, Darling, that's another one of your surprises. Would you like it now?"

"I think I would, yes." She looked suspiciously at Walter and Max, who stepped onto the patio with champagne, glasses, and an ice bucket.

"Steven, would you like to tell her? She knows we spoke earlier this week." Steven was rather enjoying being in cahoots with his future son-in-law. From what he could see, Jonathan did a good job of challenging his feisty, curious girl.

"Somebody needs to tell me something soon, or I'm going to get whatever it is out of Max and Walter." Steven waved at her comment.

"Now, don't go getting those two involved. Jonathan asked for a favor from me, for you." Jennifer turned to Jonathan expectantly.

"Jennifer, I told you that I want to marry you as soon as possible. I can't imagine spending any more time without you." He took her hands and kissed them while looking at her with that gaze that would always get him whatever he wanted. "Marry me tomorrow. Here. At Briarwood. We have all the family here that we need, and if there are other people you want, I'll get them here." He watched her eyes fill and wiped the one tear that escaped her lids and rolled down her cheek away with his thumb.

"Darling, that's a beautiful, perfect idea." Jonathan sealed the deal with a kiss.

Steven toasted the bride and groom. "To my beautiful daughter and my new son-in-law." The five of them clinked glasses and drank to the couple. Steven then looked at Max and Walter. "Well, men, we're having a wedding tomorrow, and we have a lot to do."

Jennifer and Jonathan helped clear the patio before heading out for an afternoon ride. As they were coming down the stairs, her father called from the den. Jonathan wandered into the kitchen to iron out some of the wedding details with Max and Walter while he waited for Jennifer. She found Steven sitting in his favorite chair.

"I won't take much of your time, Sweetheart." Jennifer smiled sweetly at her father.

"Pa, you can always have all the time you want." She perched on the ottoman in front of his wingback and noticed the wistfulness in her father's eyes.

"You've grown to be as beautiful as your mother." He ran a finger down her cheek. "You always favored her, in looks and spirit." Jennifer felt the familiar tug of sadness as she looked in her father's eyes.

"I know that it makes you sad when you look at me. Sometimes I'm sorry I do look so much like Momma." Steven took Jennifer's hands in his.

"Sweetheart, I'm not upset because you look like Suzanne. I miss her, every day, and I would even if you didn't resemble her so much. I am so proud of the woman you've become, and I'm so glad that she left so much of herself in you. Right now, I'm a little nostalgic as I look at my little girl, all grown up. I feel like I'm losing you." Jennifer felt the need to reassure him.

"Oh, Pa, just because I'm moving to California doesn't mean I won't be back often for visits. It won't be once a month like it has been, but you can always come visit us too. The house Jonathan and I put an offer in on has more than enough room." She squeezed his hands. "You're never going to lose me. I'll always be your little girl." Steven patted Jennifer's hand.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy and content." He looked at her a little longer. "You've been proud of yourself – college graduation, all those writing accolades, even as far back as your first blue ribbon in the saddle, but this is what I've wanted for you since you were born. Are you as happy as you seem?" She squeezed his hand again.

"More. Jonathan Hart is like a category five hurricane. He blew into my life and turned it upside down. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the fact that no relationship other than writing was going to work out for me." Steven gave her the typical dad, "you've got to be kidding me" look.

"Jennifer, all the other men you dated were fools and not worthy of you." Jennifer laughed as she told him that Jonathan had pretty much told her the same thing.

"No wonder you two get along so well. You do like him, don't you?"

"I think he's perfect for you. I always worried that the man who took my little girl from me wouldn't be up to my standards, but Jonathan is a good match for you. He's intelligent, honest, kind, generous, and he looks at you like I used to look at your mother." Jennifer leaned in and hugged the man she'd loved the longest.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too. Now go on. We've kept your young man waiting long enough." As she crossed through the doorframe, she heard, "Have a nice ride." She turned back.

"We will. We won't be gone too long."


	14. Chapter 14

They rode along the estate border as Jennifer pointed out memories and told anecdotes about growing up at Briarwood. They chatted about the next day and their wedding, as well as plans to move Jennifer's things to California.

"I actually started figuring out what to move and what to get rid of before you got here."

"You did?" She smiled brightly at him.

"Yes. I guess I was just so excited to marry you that I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later." Jonathan eased his horse, Big Red, to a stop next to Jennifer. His mischievous smile stopped her heart.

"So is tomorrow soon enough for you?" She laughed easily.

"Tomorrow is perfect." She leaned over for a kiss.

"Why don't we stop here for a bit? The horses can get a drink, and I can steal a few more kisses." They both dismounted and walked hand in hand with the animals to the stream that ran through the property.

"You never have to steal kisses from me. I'll give you as many as you like." Their lips were a whisper away from each other.

"Well, well, well. If that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever seen." They turned and saw two men approaching them with guns drawn. Jennifer's look of utter confusion made one of the men smile.

"Elliot? What are you doing here, and why are you holding us at gunpoint?" Elliot watched as Jonathan sized up the situation and decided to talk him down first.

"Uh-uh. Don't try anything smart, Hart. I'd really rather not shoot Jennifer, but if you try anything, I will." Jonathan knew there was nothing he could do at the moment, not with one man pointing a gun at him and Manning pointing one at Jennifer.

"What do you want?"

"We'll get to that. For right now, let's get out of the open." Elliot moved Jennifer and Jonathan in front of the man he called Smith. Jennifer felt Jonathan tap her ring finger as he pulled her slightly in front of him to shield her. She clasped her hands in front of her, took off her ring, and put it in her pocket, hoping no one noticed. Not too far down the stream there was an abandoned out building that belonged to another farm. The horses were tethered and Jonathan and Jennifer restrained.

"Smith, I'm going to run and get the rest of the supplies and some food. You keep an eye on these two." Jonathan hoped to get this resolved quickly.

"Look, why don't you just tell me what you want, and we can take care of it. The longer you keep us here, the more attention our absence will draw." Elliot walked over and put the muzzle of the gun on Jonathan's temple.

"When I want you to talk to me, I'll ask. Until then, stay quiet. Understand?" Jonathan just nodded.

"You learn quickly. I like that." As both men left the building, Jonathan and Jennifer tried loosening their bindings. Jonathan kept his voice as low as he could.

"Darling, do you have any idea what Manning might want?" She shook her head.

"I have no clue. At this point I'm not even sure if he wants you or me." Jonathan looked at his fiancé, and while he didn't want to scare her, he wanted her to be careful of what she said or did.

"From the look in his eye when he stares at you, he definitely wants you." Jennifer didn't quite understand what Jonathan was saying.

"Darling, he doesn't even like me. I bruised his ego by breaking up with him."

"That's why the way he looks at you makes me nervous." He watched as the recognition dawned.

"We have to get out of here." They both looked around for something that might help. "There are a couple of shovels over there that we can use if we can get out of these zip ties." Just then, Smith came back in.

"Don't try anything stupid. Elliott won't be gone long." Jennifer tried talking to him.

"Do you know what he wants with us?" Smith sneered at her.

"Of course I do, but I'm not telling. Just sit tight. You'll find out soon enough." She tried again.

"I'm assuming he wants something from me since no one knew Jonathan would be with me this weekend."

"Yeah. That was a happy coincidence. Now, quit talking." Jonathan and Jennifer exchanged a glance.

"I'm sorry. Is there any chance I could use the bathroom." Smith chuckled.

"What bathroom?" Jennifer tried to look sheepish.

"I know there isn't an actual room, but I do need to go. I can go in the trees." She watched as Smith debated. Finally he relented.

"Don't try anything. If you do, I'll come back in and shoot him. We only need one of you." Jennifer just nodded. As she made her way outside with Smith behind her, she took stock of where they were and where the horses had been tethered. She was glad to see they were still saddled, even though she felt a twinge of guilt because they hadn't been properly rubbed down. While she was behind the trees, she undid the double knot on the laces of her riding boots and found a rock with a sharp edge. She palmed the rock as she came out of the brush. Smith turned her around and put another zip tie on her wrists. Before long, Elliot returned and they finally found out what he wanted.

"All right, Jennifer, time to call your father." He grabbed her by the arm and helped her to her feet. Thankfully, she'd given the rock to Jonathan when Smith went to help Elliot bring in the food. Elliot grabbed her cell phone out of his pocket and removed her restraints.

"Just a reminder not to try anything stupid. Smith and I could have two bullets in your boyfriend before you could scream."

"What do you want me to say?"

"You're going to ask him for $250,000, which you are then going to give to me." Jennifer shook her head.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why do you need Jonathan if I'm asking my father for money?" Elliot looked at her like a teacher placating a student.

"It makes sense because that's my pocket money to get to out of the country. Once I do, there is a bank account that will have five million in it." He glanced over at Jonathan. "Courtesy of you." Jonathan glared at Elliot.

Smith chimed in, "Our pocket money." Elliot waved with his free hand. "Yeah, yeah."

"You didn't know I was going to be here. How was this supposed to work before I made it easy on you?" Elliot laughed as he addressed Jonathan.

"This did end up working out nicely." He ran a finger down Jennifer's cheek, but she turned away. She didn't miss the quick flash of anger in his eyes though. "Jennifer wasn't even a part of this plan originally. There was another girl at the party. Pretty. Brunette. A little needy. She was supposed to catch your eye, and then I was going to snag her. I figured you for the knight in shining armor type." Suddenly it dawned on Jonathan.

"Sandy?"

"At least you got to know her name."

"Not until after she came at Jennifer with a gun."

"Yes. That was unfortunate. I didn't realize just how attached she got to you." Elliot shrugged. "Oh, well." The way he said it made Jonathan's stomach turn and he knew that Manning was the reason Sandy was dead. Jonathan would have to share that information with the lieutenant when he got back to Los Angeles. "All right Jennifer, let's make that call."

"Elliot, my father will know something is wrong if I ask for that much money, especially since I'm calling him rather than asking in person at the house." He thought for a moment.

"You're right." He paused for a bit. "Well, you were the actress. Come up with something, because if you don't, you won't like the consequences." Jennifer looked at Jonathan, which bolstered her resolve.

"I can ask for $50,000, maybe $75,000, and he won't ask questions." She was hoping she wasn't pushing Elliot too far.

"Fine. Ask for the seventy-five. I'll still have five mil waiting for me later. No tricks. Put him on speaker phone."

Jennifer placed the call and hit the button for speaker. Walter picked up on the third ring.

"Edwards' residence." She tried to sound cheerful.

"Hi Walter. Is my father there?"

"Miss Jennifer, we were expecting you back a while ago. Are you all right?"

"Fine, Walter. Thank you. Jonathan and I just got talking and lost track of time."

"Good. I'll get Mr. Edwards for you." She waited for her father's voice.

"Jennifer, Sweetheart, where are you? We were getting worried."

"Like I told Walter, nothing to worry about." She forged ahead before Stephen could say anything. "Daddy, I need a favor. Please don't ask any questions right now, and I'll explain it all later, but I got a call from my boss earlier and he's asked me to do a story out of the country. I have no idea how long I'll be gone, so I need $75,000 transferred into my account. I have to fly out as soon as possible. I'm sorry to ask, but things are a little crazy right now."

"Giving you the money isn't a problem, but you know there will be a hold on the funds until they're verified. You might not have access until Monday or Tuesday. Is that all right?"

"Yes, that will be perfect. Thanks, Daddy. We'll talk about this when I get back. I love you." Elliot hit end on the phone and whipped Jennifer around to re-tie her hands.

"That was good, Jennifer. Nobody gets shot, for now." He looked at Jonathan. "Your part comes next." He considered. "After we eat."


	15. Chapter 15

Steven held the receiver in his hand and called for Walter and Max.

"Jennifer and Jonathan are in trouble." Max spoke first.

"What do you mean they're in trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"I don't know, but Jennifer just called and asked me for money. That girl has never asked me for a dime. If that wasn't enough, she gave me some cockamamie story about going out of the country for a story as soon as possible, and she called me Daddy; I've never been anything but Dad or Pa to her." He sat for a moment, pondering their next move. "Walter, get the local authorities out here and let's figure out what to do next."

...

Smith and Elliot prepared plates of food and then one at a time switched Jennifer and Jonathan's zip ties to the front so they could eat. It would be awkward, but in Jennifer's mind, it worked to their advantage. If she and Jonathan were left alone again, they could get out of the restraints much easier from the front as opposed to the back. She noticed that earlier Jonathan put the rock behind the dilapidated tractor wheel they were sitting in front of, so they still had two ways to break the zip ties. She could use her boot laces. Smith and Elliot were in a hushed discussion, far enough away so that nothing could be deciphered, but close enough that Jonathan and Jennifer didn't take the chance of talking. Neither wanted to set Elliot off. Suddenly, Elliot threw his plate, stormed across the room, and dragged Jennifer to her feet. He pointed the pistol at Jennifer as a warning to Jonathan, who started to get up.

"Don't even think about it, Hart. I just want a conversation with my ex, that's all." Jennifer saw the menacing look in Jonathan's eyes as Elliot pulled her toward the back of the building. She tried not to make Elliot angrier, but she could hear the edge in her voice.

"What do you want? We've done everything you've asked." His sudden change in attitude and his question threw her. He became almost contrite.

"Why are you with him?" Jennifer shook her head.

"Why do you care?" The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice confused her.

"I miss you, Jen. Don't you miss us?"

"Elliot, we haven't spoken in almost two years. You cheated on me, and you know I hate when you call me Jen." If she didn't know him better, she might have thought he was sincere.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I screwed up. We were good together, and we can be again." Jennifer weighed her options and figured that the best course of action was to poke the beast. She knew she couldn't lie to him; he would see right through her.

"Elliot, we are never going to happen again. We're done. Whether I'm single or with someone, you and I are over." She saw the glimmer of the real Elliot as he tried to reign in his temper. She decided to push that last button. "Besides, you don't even like me. The only thing that drew you to me in the first place was my bank account." With that, the veneer cracked.

"I liked you well enough, until you got all high and mighty on me. You never had this kind of spine when we dated. Snark doesn't suit you, Jen." He dragged her back toward Jonathan and the doors. "Hart, let's get this over with. Make the call. Transfer the money. Do whatever it is you need to do to get me my $5,000,000." Jonathan looked Elliot square I the eye.

"I can't." Elliot trained the gun on Jennifer, while Smith pointed his at Jonathan.

"I think you can." Jonathan kept his voice level.

"No, I can't. It's after six in LA. I have a failsafe on both my personal accounts and the Hart Industries accounts. Electronic transfers over a certain amount can't be done, and no more than one transfer can be done within a certain time period. I have to call the bank directly and give them a password, which I won't be able to do until tomorrow morning when the bank opens." Jennifer wanted to shout a hallelujah to the rafters right there, but she didn't think it would be proper given the circumstances, so she hid her laugh with a little cough. Elliot however, did not keep his thoughts to himself and unloaded a litany of expletives. He stormed through the doors, and Smith followed, unsure of what to do next. Jonathan and Jennifer wasted no time extricating themselves from the zip ties and grabbing the rusted shovels. They positioned themselves behind the double doors, which thankfully opened in, and prepared to bludgeon their captors when they came back inside.

Elliot and Smith were outside trying to figure their next move, when Elliot thought he saw movement in the shadows.

"Let's get back inside."

When they came through the doors, they noticed that their captives weren't where they'd been left. Both drew their guns, but as they passed the edge of the doors, Jonathan and Jennifer swung their shovels. Smith went down hard, but Elliot caught Jonathan's movement out of the corner of his eye as he swept the room. He got hit but managed to deflect some of the blow. However, Jonathan still had time to rush his opponent. Jennifer grabbed Smith's gun, while Jonathan and Elliot grappled for the other. In the struggle, the gun went off as Jonathan got in one last punch. Jennifer ran to both men, who were lying still on the ground.

"Jonathan!" As she rolled him over, he shook his head to clear it. She breathed a sigh of relief that she couldn't see any injury. "Darling, are you all right?" Elliot was out cold, so she took his gun and helped Jonathan to his feet. He shook his head again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My ears are ringing from the discharge though." He took both guns from her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. As he held her, he heard the commotion outside as the police rushed the building. "Looks like the cavalry arrived."

The police took Elliot and Smith into custody and spent time getting Jonathan and Jennifer's statements. Jonathan mentioned Sandy and her death to the Maryland Sherriff and asked him to call Lt. Grey to see if they could connect Elliot to the young woman's death. Steven, Max, Walter, and Freeway were all waiting as the two finished up with the police. Jennifer's father hugged her fiercely.

"My dear, don't ever scare me like that again." She laughed.

"Believe me, I'll try not to. Can I assume you figured out that we were in trouble and I wasn't flying off somewhere tonight?" Steven chucked Jennifer on the chin.

"The message was loud and clear. We were here to rescue you, but it looks like you two did just fine on your own." Jonathan, who had been talking with Walter and Max stepped up and put his arm around Jennifer's shoulders.

"Most of our rescue is a credit to Jennifer." He looked down at his fiancé with great admiration. "She's amazing." Jennifer placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I just wanted to make sure we weren't late for our wedding." She winked at him and earned another kiss.

Back at the house, Jennifer sank into a bubble bath, which wasn't long enough to her taste, but it was already quite late, and there was still a lot to do the next day for their five o'clock wedding. She met Jonathan in the hallway as he was headed off to bed.

"How was your bath?"

"Terrific. How was your brandy with Dad?"

"About the same. Your father is a great man, Darling." She smiled at him and shrugged a bit.

"I like him." They laughed together. She crooked her finger at him. "Come here." Jonathan braced his arms on either side of her and sandwiched her between himself and the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I like you too." Jonathan placed a kiss on her neck.

"You do, huh?" She tilted her head to give him better access.

"Um-hm. Enough to marry you tomorrow." Jonathan pulled back to stare into her eyes.

"That's the best offer I've ever had." He went back to placing small kisses along her jaw and on the sensitive spot just under her ear. Jennifer could feel her knees buckling.

"Darling." Jonathan ignored her. "Darling." She was a little more insistent this time, but Jonathan moved his lip's perusal of her neck to her mouth. The kiss was slow and sensuous. Jonathan meant to seduce Jennifer, but he was the one being seduced. Somewhere in his brain he recognized that he needed to stop kissing her or he would end up making love to her in the hallway of her father's home. He pulled back slowly and rested his forehead on hers. It took them both a minute to catch their breath. Jonathan gave Jennifer a smile that was slow and full of mischief.

"Did you want something, Darling?" She played with his collar and ran her fingernails over the part of his chest exposed by the open buttons of his shirt. Jennifer smiled as his eyes darkened with passion. Two could play this little game of his. She leaned a little closer to him.

"What I want…" She kissed him by the sensitive spot under his ear. "…is to wish you good-night." Jonathan laughed softly into her shoulder.

"That was very good, Darling. I deserved that." She looked at him, triumph written on her face.

"Yes, you did. Especially after agreeing with me that we would sleep in separate rooms tonight." He gave her a quick kiss.

"I guarantee I won't be sleeping much at all." She ran a finger down his cheek.

"You better sleep tonight because you won't get much tomorrow night." She gave him a saucy smile and retreated into her room for the night. He stood outside her door for a moment, smiling and wondering if he'd be able to handle Jennifer Edwards for the rest of his life.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning dawned brightly, and the grounds were covered with workers by 8:00 am. Jennifer and Steven were already at the kitchen table when Jonathan came in. He came over to the table and gave Jennifer a kiss on the cheek before getting himself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Darling."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Jennifer tried to hide her smile behind her coffee cup, but Jonathan caught it.

"Like a baby." He winked at her, and she laughed. Steven put down the paper he was reading, oblivious to the byplay of the other two at the table.

"Would you two like to head to the gallery for a bit this morning before things get too crazy?"

"That sounds great, Pa. I'd love to see the newest talent you've discovered." She finished her coffee. "I'm going to grab a quick shower first. I'll be ready shortly." She gave both men a quick kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs. Jonathan turned to Steven.

"Is everything under control?" Steven nodded.

"The chairs and tent are being set as we speak. The decorator should be here by 10:00. I put Max and Walter in charge of picking the menu yesterday, and the caterer is preparing for 50, so we'll have plenty of food. The minister will be here at 4:15 to run through everything, and a local band will be here at 5:30 to set up for the dinner music and reception." Jonathan stayed silent while Steven tried to think through everything. "Oh, yes, Max was fitted for a tux Friday morning, and that should be delivered before noon." Jonathan smiled.

"It sounds like you thought of everything. I really appreciate it."

"Seeing my daughter this happy is all the thanks I need."

They drove to Goodson Gallery and Steven opened the doors and turned on the lights. It didn't officially open for another hour, but being the owner had its privileges. Jennifer took her time looking at some of the newer works that weren't there the last time she was in town. Finally, she asked about the new artist.

"I haven't come across his works. Are they still in storage?"

"Yes. We won't set up for the showing until probably Thursday. Come in the back with me." She and Jonathan followed her father through the door marked "No Admittance". Many of the works hadn't been framed yet but were sitting on easels. She gasped when she saw the one in the center of the room.

"Dad, this is Sweet Sue and me. I must have been about eight." She looked at Steven. "Did you commission this?" He smiled at her.

"I did. I planned to hang it here, on permanent display, but I rethought that idea after talking to a gentleman who was very interested in the painting." Jennifer was disappointed.

"You sold it?" She paused and looked at the painting again. "I'm not sure I like a stranger having a portrait of me in his house." Jonathan wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"How about your husband?" She turned in his arms.

"You bought it?" He shook his head and pointed to Steven.

"It's my wedding present to you both. Jonathan expressed an interest in purchasing it when I sent him a picture of it, but since I had it commissioned, it seemed right that it be a gift from me for your wedding and your new home." She gave her father a hug.

"Thank you, Dad. It's a beautiful gift." She turned back to Jonathan. "You're a rat. Letting me think some stranger was going to have this." He laughed and kissed her.

"What do you say we head back to Briarwood and make sure everything is coming together?"

"Would you mind if I made one stop before that? You can grab coffee and a roll at the shop next door. I won't be long."

"I've already had my two cups this morning. I can come with you." She smiled mysteriously at him.

"Well, you can go have a roll then. I have surprises of my own to take care of." With that parting remark, she was off on her errand.

...

After they returned back to the house, Jennifer and Jonathan checked in with the caterers, the decorators, Max, and Walter. Everything was completely under control. The couple walked back to the house hand in hand.

"It's like they don't need us at all for our own wedding." Jennifer laughed.

"When I was a little girl, I had my whole wedding planned out. This looks nothing like that vision." Jonathan looked at her.

"Disappointed?" She smiled and kissed him.

"Not on your life." They finished the walk inside arm in arm. "Come with me." She led him to her bedroom.

"Darling, I thought you said this was off limits until we were married." She speared him with a look.

"Jonathan, you have a one track mind." He wrapped her in his arms.

"You can't blame me, Darling. You're gorgeous."

"I know, I know. It's a curse." They laughed together and she went to her nightstand to get something. "You don't get to keep this until I put it on your finger in a few hours, but I wanted you to see it now." She handed him a plain gold band with beveling on each edge. It was simple but elegant. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

"It's beautiful, Darling." She tilted her head toward the ring.

"There's an inscription." He lifted the ring toward the light coming through the window.

"Always my Hart ~ J & J" He walked back to her. "This is perfect."

"I wanted you to see it before I slipped it on your finger. Once that ring goes on…" He finished her sentence for her.

"…It's never coming off." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close. They held on to each other for a few minutes, just enjoying the closeness. Suddenly, she disentangled herself from his embrace and shooed him out the door.

"All right, now scoot. I have to make myself look like a bride." She batted her lashes at him. "I'm getting married today you know, and if my fiancé catches you in here, you'll be in trouble." Jonathan grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him for one last searing kiss.

"You'll get more of those after we're married."

"I should hope so."


	17. Chapter 17

At 5:00, Jennifer was ready to walk down the aisle on her father's arm. She was dressed in a simple, white, lace sheath dress with a small train. It had a square neckline and low-cut V back. To accentuate her waist, the dress was fitted with a light grey satin ribbon. Her father gave Jennifer her mother's pearls to wear, and her hair was left down and held back on one side with a jeweled comb. In her hands she held a bouquet of pink and white star gazer lilies. She was excited, nervous, and more than a little emotional. Steven patted her hand, kissed her cheek, and walked his daughter toward the area set for the outdoor ceremony.

Jonathan stood at the altar waiting for his bride. Nothing in his life ever felt as right as him being here, in this moment. He was dressed in a traditional tux, with Max standing beside him. He smiled a little as he remembered Max's protests at having to wear the "penguin suit". When Jonathan saw Jennifer though, she became his only focus. He lost his breath looking at her. Jonathan had never been an overly emotional man, but his throat constricted as she walked toward him. He heard the murmurs of their friends and family; words like beautiful and gorgeous hit his ears, but at that moment, he didn't think that even those expressions did her justice.

As Steven offered Jennifer's hand to Jonathan, the two men exchanged a silent acknowledgement. He'd told Jennifer in his own way during their conversation yesterday, but now Jonathan knew. Steven Edwards was giving his most precious gift to a man he trusted and considered a son.

The ceremony was traditional, and Jennifer and Jonathan stood facing each other and holding hands as the minister recited the familiar words. Finally he got to the exchange of vows.

"Jennifer and Jonathan have chosen to recite their own vows." Jennifer took a deep breath and smiled at her soon to be husband.

"Jonathan, as a writer, this was my most difficult assignment. Not because the words wouldn't come, but because the words don't begin to express what I feel when I'm with you. So, rather than try to describe the indescribable, I decided to make you a few promises instead." Jonathan brought her hands to his lips. He was probably breaking a wedding rule, but he didn't care. The gleam in Jennifer's eyes was well worth it in his mind. "I promise you that I will always stand by you, support you, and be your biggest cheerleader. I will always be honest with you about what I need and what I feel we need together in our relationship, and I will always put our needs ahead of my needs. I will listen to you and talk through things with you, but most importantly, I promise you that I will always choose to love you."

Jonathan had to blink a few times and swallow down his emotions before he began. "Jennifer, I never thought that I could love a woman the way I love you. You make me laugh and enjoy life in a way I didn't expect. You're the only person, other than Max, who I can truly be myself around. Knowing myself, I can be demanding and stubborn at times, but I promise you that you will always come first. Our marriage will always come first, and it will not just be 50-50. I will give you everything I have forever." He let go of one of her hands to rub his thumb over her cheek. "I choose you, every day for the rest of my life."

The minister had them exchange rings and pronounced them husband and wife. Jonathan didn't wait for the words, "You may kiss your bride." before he pulled Jennifer to him. He kissed her possessively then placed a sweet kiss on her cheek and whispered, "I love you, Mrs. Hart." into her ear.

With that, they walked up the aisle arm in arm to the cheers of the small crowd of family and friends. They ate, danced, and celebrated well into the night. Finally, Jonathan and Jennifer had a chance to dance together again after their first dance. He was holding her tightly, just enjoying having her in his arms and her hand was running over his shoulder and down his back.

"Darling, I need to get you out of here or I'm going to embarrass us in front of your father and the rest of the guests." Her knowing laugh sent shock waves through him and the look she gave him about did him in.

"Well, we can't have that. Take me wherever you want." He gave her a swift, thorough kiss before they said their goodbyes and made their way to the car. She trailed her fingers up and down his thigh as they drove. "So, where are you taking me?" He glanced at her quickly.

"It's a surprise." She watched him drive and smirked a little at the concentration on his face.

"Darling, is the rest of my life going to be one surprise after another?" He smiled at her, even though he kept his eyes on the road.

"I'm going to do my best to make it that way." Jennifer suddenly realized that they were pulling into the airport.

"Jonathan, why are we at the airport? We told Dad that we would have brunch with him tomorrow before we left." Jonathan parked the car next to the Gulfstream and looked at his wife.

"We aren't going anywhere tonight. This was the most private place I could think of for our wedding night."

"You really are a little crazy." He leaned across the seat and kissed her.

"Darling, I am absolutely crazy – about you."

Once they were on board, Jonathan showed her around the cabin. He laughed at the confusion on her face.

"The plane is lovely, Darling, but I only see a sofa and two chairs. Where do you plan on sleeping?" He took her hand and walked her through a door toward the rear of the plane. She stared at the bedroom and began laughing. "You have a bedroom on your plane?"

"It makes overseas flights much more comfortable." She just shook her head as he took her in his arms. The kiss he gave her was reverent and filled with restrained passion. "Why don't you give me a few minutes to get everything set in here?" She picked up her overnight bag.

"I'd like a couple of minutes to freshen up anyway." Jonathan took a long look at her.

"I'm sorry to see you take off that dress. It's stunning on you." She gave him a quick kiss.

"Awww." She kissed him again. "I think you'll like what I change into just as much."

With that she headed into the bathroom, and Jonathan set about the bedroom turning on battery operated candles. He dimmed the cabin lights, opened a bottle of champagne, and put Jennifer's wedding bouquet in a vase on the small dresser. He had just enough time to change into a pair of pajama pants and turn down the bed before she opened the door.

She walked out in a short, white, silk nightgown and stole his breath for the second time that day. The sides were cut high like a man's dress shirt, showing off her excellent legs, and the neckline plunged low, giving him just a hint of what was waiting for him.

She walked straight to him, a knowing look in her eye. "I told you you'd like this just as much." When he kissed her this time, his passion was no longer restrained.

"It's not the negligee, Darling, it's you." She slid her hands up his chest and around his neck as she looked around the room.

"This is lovely. Thank you for going to so much trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble." He nodded his head toward the ice bucket. "Would you like some champagne?" She shook her head no.

Jonathan pulled her close and kissed her slowly. He led her to the bed, and by the time they got around to thinking about the champagne again, all the ice in the bucket was melted.

….the end (for now) A honeymoon follow up is in the recesses of my mind.


End file.
